Rule 003, section 3.4.1 of the Alberta Utilities Commission sets the dates.
An electricity disconnection for non-payment is permitted only between April 16 and October 14. For natural gas the window is April 15 to October 31. The rule also attaches a temperature condition, set in the text at above 0 °C within 24 hours.
October 14 has passed. From October 15 the electricity window is closed until spring.
Key facts
- Alberta Utilities Commission Rule 003, section 3.4.1, sets a permissible disconnection period of April 16 to October 14 for electricity and April 15 to October 31 for natural gas (Alberta Utilities Commission, Rule 003).
- The rule’s text attaches a temperature condition of above 0 °C within 24 hours to a non-payment disconnection (Alberta Utilities Commission, Rule 003).
- The Utilities Consumer Advocate answers consumer questions on disconnection at 310-4822 in Alberta and 1-888-644-6608 from outside the province (Utilities Consumer Advocate, 2026).
- The Rate of Last Resort is 12.06 cents a kilowatt hour in the ENMAX service area and 12.01 cents a kilowatt hour in the EPCOR service area through December 31, 2026 (ENMAX and EPCOR, 2026).
What the closed window does and does not cover
The rule stops a non-payment disconnection from starting. It does not turn the power back on.
A household cut off before October 15 stays cut off. The winter protection is a limit on new disconnections, and the rule does not reconnect service that was already cut. That is the gap between how the protection is described and what the text does.
A household in arrears is also still in arrears. The balance does not disappear. A closed window moves the date of the cut-off. It does not move the debt.
What a load limiter is
A load limiter is a device that caps the power a home can draw. The Utilities Consumer Advocate describes the cap as enough for a furnace, a fridge and one stove element. ENMAX puts the limit at about 10 to 15 amps.
Ask the retailer in writing if the account is on a limiter and what the amperage is. A household that knows the number can plan around it.
What the Rate of Last Resort changes
Customers who have not chosen a retailer pay the Rate of Last Resort, 12.06 cents a kilowatt hour with ENMAX and 12.01 cents with EPCOR through the end of 2026. A fixed-rate contract is a different product with its own cancellation terms. Compare the contract rate to the regulated figure before signing anything this month.
The wider cost of keeping the lights on is covered in the piece on distribution costs in rural Alberta, and how shelter costs are weighted in the affordability measure is in the shelter weight analysis.
Who to call
The Utilities Consumer Advocate takes consumer calls on disconnection, billing and retailer disputes at 310-4822 in Alberta. From outside the province the number is 1-888-644-6608.
The Alberta Utilities Commission publishes Rule 003 in full, so the section 3.4.1 wording can be checked against this page.
A household behind on a bill should call the retailer first, ask for a payment arrangement in writing, and call the advocate the same day if the answer is no.
Have four things ready before dialling: the account number, the last bill, the amount in arrears and any written notice the retailer has sent. The advocate’s staff can work from those, and a household that has them on the table gets through the call faster.
