Switching only means something in Alberta, where you pick a competitive retailer for power and gas, and partly in Ontario, where you choose a regulated plan shape rather than a supplier. In the other 11 provinces and territories, one regulated utility serves everyone, so there is no supplier to switch to and "compare and save" simply does not apply.
No supplier where you live? That is normal, not a problem. Skip to "what to do instead" below for the levers that actually lower a regulated-monopoly bill.
The belief: everyone can shop around
Movers, newcomers and switch-site ads all assume an energy bill works like a phone plan: find a cheaper company and sign up. That assumption is true for a small minority of Canadians and false for the rest. Because electricity and gas are provincial jurisdiction, each province built its own market, and most kept a single regulated utility instead of opening retail competition. So before you spend an evening comparing "providers," the real question is whether your province even has more than one.
Why generic advice misleads here
Most "how to switch energy providers" content is written for, or imported from, markets like the United States, the United Kingdom or Texas, where retail competition is the norm. Dropped onto a Canadian reader in Halifax or Victoria, it sends them hunting for a choice that does not exist, and worse, it implies their current bill is the result of not shopping hard enough. In a regulated monopoly the price is set by an independent regulator through public rate hearings, so there is no hidden cheaper deal to find. The energy you can influence is the energy you use, not the company you buy it from.
What switching means in your province
Find your jurisdiction in the explorer below. The "supplier choice" axis tells you immediately whether switching is even possible, alongside an illustrative cost and a link to your full provincial guide.
The Canadian energy explorer
Pick a province or territory. The two facts that decide your bill, whether you can choose a supplier and who owns your utility, update instantly, with an illustrative power cost.
energy only, excludes the fixed charge, delivery and tax.
Rate anchors: Canada Energy Regulator Market Snapshot (Nov 2025). Structure: provincial regulators. Rates are approximate teaching figures, not quotes, verify with your utility.
Full data, all 13 jurisdictions
| Province / territory | Supplier choice | Ownership | Main utility | Regulator | Heats with | Rate (¢/kWh, approx. 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia (BC) | No, regulated monopoly | Crown corporation (public) | BC Hydro (plus FortisBC in the southern interior) | BCUC | Natural gas and electricity | 11.0 |
| Alberta (AB) | Yes, full retail choice | Investor-owned (private) | Competitive retailers; wires by ATCO, EPCOR, ENMAX, FortisAlberta | AUC | Natural gas | Market-based / varies |
| Saskatchewan (SK) | No, regulated monopoly | Crown corporation (public) | SaskPower (electricity), SaskEnergy (natural gas) | SRRP | Natural gas | 17.0 |
| Manitoba (MB) | No, regulated monopoly | Crown corporation (public) | Manitoba Hydro (electricity and natural gas) | PUB | Natural gas and electricity | 10.0 |
| Ontario (ON) | Partly, plan shape only | Mixed (public + private) | Local distribution companies; default price set by the OEB | OEB | Natural gas | 15.0 |
| Quebec (QC) | No, regulated monopoly | Crown corporation (public) | Hydro-Québec | Régie | Electricity | 7.8 |
| New Brunswick (NB) | No, regulated monopoly | Crown corporation (public) | NB Power | EUB | Electricity and heating oil | 14.0 |
| Nova Scotia (NS) | No, regulated monopoly | Investor-owned (private) | Nova Scotia Power (an Emera company) | NSEB | Heating oil and electricity | 19.1 |
| Prince Edward Island (PEI) | No, regulated monopoly | Investor-owned (private) | Maritime Electric (a Fortis company) | IRAC | Heating oil, electricity and heat pumps | 17.0 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) | No, regulated monopoly | Mixed (public + private) | Newfoundland Power (Fortis) and NL Hydro (Crown) | PUB | Electricity | 14.0 |
| Yukon (YT) | No, regulated monopoly | Mixed (public + private) | Yukon Energy (Crown) and ATCO Electric Yukon (private) | YUB | Heating oil and wood | Among the highest (diesel, subsidized) |
| Northwest Territories (NWT) | No, regulated monopoly | Crown corporation (public) | Northwest Territories Power Corporation | NWT PUB | Heating oil | Among the highest (diesel, subsidized) |
| Nunavut (NU) | No, regulated monopoly | Crown corporation (public) | Qulliq Energy Corporation | URRC | Heating oil | Among the highest (diesel, subsidized) |
The three kinds of market, in plain terms
You pick a retailer and a fixed or floating rate for electricity and gas, or default to the regulated Rate of Last Resort. Comparing genuinely pays off, and timing matters.
Licensed retailers exist, but most homes stay on the OEB-regulated price and choose a plan shape: Time-of-Use, Tiered or Ultra-Low Overnight. The plan shape is the real decision.
BC, QC, MB, SK, NB, NS, PEI, NL and the territories: one regulated utility, no retail layer. Effort belongs on usage, heating and rebates.
The insider catch: choice can cost you too
In Alberta, where switching is real, the mistake is rarely failing to shop, it is shopping badly. Households tend to lock a fixed rate precisely when prices are spiking and fear is highest, then pay above the floating rate once the spike passes. In Ontario, signing a retail contract often underperforms simply moving between the free regulated plan shapes to match your usage. The lesson cuts against the grain of switch-site marketing: where choice exists, the value is in timing and plan shape, not in switching for its own sake.
What to do instead, by market type
A short decision tree that replaces the reflex to "just switch."
Compare fixed vs floating rates for power and gas, and decide based on your appetite for predictability, not on a price spike. Do not lock a fixed rate at the top of the market.
Match Time-of-Use, Tiered or Ultra-Low Overnight to your usage. For most homes this free regulated choice beats signing a retail contract.
There is not one. Redirect the effort to consumption: efficiency upgrades, sealing, a smart thermostat, and the right heating fuel.
Federal programs are delivered provincially and stack with provincial ones, especially for heat pumps. This is where real money sits in the 11 monopoly jurisdictions.
