Three ways Canada buys energy
The single biggest thing to know about your province is which of these three buckets it falls into.
You choose the retailer
A competitive market where you pick who sells you the commodity and sign a fixed or variable contract. The wires stay regulated. In Canada this is Alberta alone.
See AlbertaA regulated default, plus choice
Most households sit on a regulated default price, but an opt-in competitive retail layer exists for those who want it. In Canada this is Ontario.
See OntarioOne utility, set rates
A single (usually Crown-owned) utility generates, delivers and bills you, and a regulator sets the price. No supplier to shop — your levers are usage, rate options and rebates. Everywhere else.
See QuebecBrowse every province & territory
Thirteen energy hubs, one per jurisdiction. Pick yours.
The West Coast
Cheap heritage hydro and a Crown utility.The Prairies
Canada's only open market sits next to two Crown provinces.Central Canada
A hydro giant and the country's one true hybrid market.Atlantic Canada
Investor-owned and Crown utilities, oil-heavy heating.The North
Isolated grids, long winters and the highest costs in Canada.How provinces compare on price
Typical residential electricity rates, lowest to highest. Hydro provinces sit at the bottom; gas, oil and diesel-heavy ones at the top.
Indicative all-in residential rates for comparison. The three territories (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut) are not shown as a single number — remote diesel generation pushes their costs the highest in Canada.
About the federal carbon price
The federal consumer carbon price (the fuel charge) was removed effective 1 April 2025. Provinces and territories are no longer required to have a consumer-facing carbon price. Industrial carbon pricing continues.