• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
EnergyRates.ca

EnergyRates.ca

Compare and Find the Lowest Energy Rates

Get a free quote call1-855-635-9608
  • Alberta
    • Regional Energy Services
      • City of Calgary
      • City of Edmonton
      • Fort McMurray
      • Grande Prairie
      • Medicine Hat
      • Red Deer
      • Crowsnest Pass
      • Cardston
      • Fort Macleod
      • Ponoka
      • Fort Saskatchewan
      • Cold Lake
      • Canmore
    • Rates & Information
      • Site Catalog Tool
      • Alberta Carbon Tax and Rebates
      • Regulated Services
      • Rate of Last Resort (ROLR)
      • Alberta Energy Market Data
      • Utilities Consumer Advocate and UCA Helps
      • Cutting Your Farm’s Energy Costs
      • Breaking Down Your Alberta Electricity and Natural Gas Bills
      • Obtaining Financial Assistance
      • Default Rate Tariff (DRT)
      • Energy Disconnection and AUC Winter Reconnection Program
      • Electricity and Natural Gas Mediation
      • Electricity Services for Rental Properties
      • Who is my Energy Provider?
      • Micro-Generation in Alberta
      • Green Energy Credits
      • Alberta Energy Glossary
      • Understand Energy Bill Estimates and Meter Readings
      • How is The Pool Price for Electricity Determined in Alberta?
      • What is the AESO and How It Works
    • Electricity and Natural Gas Companies
      • AltaGas
      • ATCO Energy
      • Direct Energy
      • Encor by EPCOR
      • ENMAX Energy
      • Hudson Energy
      • Just Energy
      • Link Energy
      • Superior Energy
      • TransAlta
      • Spot Power
      • UTILITYnet
      • ACE Energy
      • Sponsor Energy
      • Burst Energy
      • Campus Energy
      • Ambit Energy
      • XOOM Energy
      • Peace Power
      • Ridge Utilities
      • Regional Energy
      • Olympus Energy
      • Acorn Energy
      • Astro Energy
      • PowerBill Electricity
      • Prairie Power
    • Regulated Rate Providers – Natural Gas and Electricity
      • AltaGas Utilities
      • City of Lethbridge Electric Utility
      • Direct Energy Regulated Services
      • ENMAX Power Corporation
      • EPCOR Energy Alberta GP Inc
    • Small Commercial Fixed Rate Providers
      • EasyMax
      • Encor by EPCOR
    • Wire Service Providers
      • AltaGas Utilities
      • ATCO Gas
      • City of Lethbridge Electric Utility
      • ENMAX Power Corporation
      • EPCOR Distribution & Transmission Inc
      • FortisAlberta
    • Energy Efficiency Programs in Alberta
      • Energy Saving Grants for Businesses in Alberta
      • How the Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) Works in Alberta
  • BC
    • Regional Energy Services
      • Vancouver, BC Electricity Retailers and Natural Gas Providers
      • Surrey Electricity Providers and Natural Gas Services
      • Burnaby Electricity Providers and Natural Gas Services
      • Victoria, BC Electricity Retailers and Natural Gas Providers
    • Rates & Information
      • Breaking Down Your British Columbia Electricity & Natural Gas Bills
      • Explaining Your British Columbia Electricity & Natural Gas Rates
      • How to Read Your British Columbia Electricity & Natural Gas Meters
      • Why the British Columbia Energy Market is Regulated
      • How to Start, Transfer, or Change Your Electricity and Natural Gas Services in British Columbia
      • British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) 
    • Residential Natural Gas Retailers
      • FortisBC & Tarasen Gas
      • Access Gas Services
      • Planet Energy British Columbia
      • Direct Energy British Columbia
      • Just Energy British Columbia
      • Summitt Energy British Columbia
    • Commercial Natural Gas Retailers
      • Access Gas Services
      • Bluestream Energy
      • AltaGas British Columbia
      • Direct Energy British Columbia
      • Just Energy British Columbia
      • Planet Energy British Columbia
      • Summitt Energy British Columbia
    • Regulated Energy Providers
      • BC Hydro
      • FortisBC & Tarasen Gas
    • Home Renovation and Appliance Rebates
  • Manitoba
    • Regional Energy Services
      • Winnipeg
      • Brandon
      • Steinbach
    • Rates & Information
      • Breaking Down Your Manitoba Electricity & Natural Gas Bills
      • Explaining Your Manitoba Electricity & Natural Gas Rates
      • How to Read Your Manitoba Electricity & Natural Gas Meters
      • How to Start, Transfer, or Change Your Electricity and Natural Gas Services in Manitoba
      • Why the Manitoba Electricity Market is Regulated
    • Residential Natural Gas Retailers
      • Just Energy
      • Planet Energy
    • Commercial Natural Gas Retailers
      • ECNG Energy
    • Regulated Energy Providers
      • Manitoba Hydro
    • Manitoba Energy Efficiency Programs
  • Ontario
    • Regional Energy Services
      • Ottawa
      • Mississauga
      • Toronto
      • Brampton
      • Hamilton
      • London
      • Markham
      • Kitchener
      • Windsor
      • Burlington
      • Sudbury
      • Oshawa
      • Barrie
      • Guelph
      • Oakville
    • Rates & Information
      • Why the Ontario Energy Market is Regulated
      • Explaining Your Ontario Electricity Rates
      • Explaining Your Ontario Natural Gas Rates
      • Breaking Down Your Ontario Electricity Bill
      • Breaking Down Your Ontario Natural Gas Bill
      • What is the Global Adjustment?
      • How to Set Up Your Utility Service When You Move in Ontario
      • Does Your Ontario Energy Provider Require a Security Deposit?
      • How to Renew Your Energy Contract
      • How to Start Natural Gas Service for the First Time
      • Canceling an Ontario Energy Contract
      • How to Read Your Ontario Gas Meter
      • Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP)
      • Save On Energy
      • Green Energy in Ontario
      • Ontario’s Local Hydro Utilities or Local Distribution Companies (LDC)
      • Ontario Energy Efficiency Programs
    • Ontario Retail Electricity & Natural Gas Companies
      • Just Energy
      • MyRate Energy
      • Planet Energy
      • RiteRate Energy
      • Summitt Energy
    • Ontario Regulated Price Plan Providers
      • Hydro One
      • Enbridge Gas Distribution
      • Union Gas
  • Saskatchewan
    • Regional Energy Services
      • Saskatoon
      • Regina
      • Prince Albert
    • Rates & Information
      • Breaking Down Your Saskatchewan Electricity and Natural Gas Bill
      • Explaining Your Saskatchewan Electricity & Natural Gas Rates
      • How to Read Your Saskatchewan Electricity and Natural Gas Meters
      • How to Update Your Saskatchewan Energy Services
      • Why the Saskatchewan Electricity Market is Regulated
    • Residential Natural Gas Retailers
      • Future Now Energy
      • Just Energy
    • Commercial Natural Gas Retailers
      • Connect Energy
      • Hudson Energy
      • Peak Energy
    • Regulated Energy Providers
      • Saskatoon Light & Power
      • SaskEnergy
      • SaskPower
      • Swift Current Electricity Services
    • Commercial Energy Efficiency Programs
  • Québec
    • Regional Energy Services
      • Montréal
      • Québec City
      • Sherbrooke
      • Gatineau
      • Laval
      • Coaticook
      • Westmount
      • Lévis
      • Saguenay
      • Baie-Comeau
      • Longueuil
      • Trois-Rivières
      • Magog
      • Alma
      • Saint-Jean-Baptiste
      • Joliette
      • Amos
    • Rates & Information
      • Breaking Down Your Québec Electricity and Natural Gas Bills
      • Explaining Your Québec Electricity and Natural Gas Rates
      • How to Start, Transfer, or Change Your Electricity and Natural Gas Services in Québec
    • Residential Natural Gas Retailers
      • Just Energy
    • Commercial Natural Gas Retailers
      • Just Energy
      • Access Gas
      • Summit Energy
      • Hudson Energy
      • Active Energy
      • Direct Energy
      • Comsatec
    • Regulated Elecricity & Natural Gas Retailers
      • Énergir
      • Gazifère
      • Hydro-Québec 
    • Energy Efficiency Programs and Rebates in Québec
  • Plans/Products
    • Plans
      • Fixed Rate Plans
      • Floating Rate Plans
      • Regulated Rate Plans
      • Block Pricing Plans
      • Load Following Plans
    • Products
      • Residential Electricity and Natural Gas Plans
      • Small Business Electricity and Natural Gas Plans
      • Small Commercial Electricity and Natural Gas Plans
      • Large Commercial Electricity and Natural Gas Plans
      • Industrial Electricity and Natural Gas Plans
      • Farming Electricity and Natural Gas Plans
    • Utility Bonds
  • Tips
    • Electricity Rates – Tips for Keeping Your Energy Costs Low
    • Natural Gas Rates – Tips for Lowering Your Bills
    • Energy Rates Blog
    • Energy Stats
    •  FAQ
    • Disclaimer
  • Content Hubs
    • Solar Energy
    • Electric Vehicles
    • Product Reviews
  • Renewable Energy
    • Green Energy Rates & Renewable Energy Solutions
    • RECs, Carbon Offsets & Green Building Certification
    • Carbon Accounting for Corporations: Scopes 1, 2, and 3
    • Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs)
    • How to Market Corporate Sustainability Projects

Easymax Seasonal Solar vs The Solar Club: A Comparison

Looking for cheaper electricity or natural gas? Find a better rate with Canada’s top energy comparison site.

Find a cheaper energy rate

1

Albertans have many reasons to consider making the switch to solar. While our province has some of the highest electricity costs in the country, it also receives the most sunlight hours out of any province in Canada, meaning Alberta boasts the quickest average time to pay off solar in the country.

Another great benefit available to Albertans are the available programs that are designed to maximize the impact of solar microgeneration on your family’s bank account.
There are two main plans/programs that can benefit Microgenerators – UtilityNET’s Solar Club and Enmax Energy’s Easymax Seasonal Solar – that function similarly in how they improve the long term savings solar offers. In this article, we are going to analyze both programs and determine the differences, as well as hopefully point you in the direction that would work best for you.

The Core Concept

Both Easymax Seasonal Solar and The Solar Club are designed to maximize the value of electricity sold to the grid by microgenerators.

When any grid-tied micro generator produces more electricity than they use, the excess is sold back into the grid, typically in exchange for credits that can be used towards a future energy bill.

According to the Alberta government’s Microgeneration regulation, the cost of the electricity you sell to the grid in a period must be equal to the cost of electricity you buy from the grid.

The way that both programs function is by offering a higher summer rate exclusive for microgenerators. If your solar installation regularly generates more energy than what you use and you sell the excess to the grid, the credits you will earn will be valued much higher on the summer rate than otherwise. When the season changes, and you are realistically not able to meet your energy demand with the energy you produce, let alone generate excess electricity you can switch back to a cheaper rate, and put your accumulated credits into paying off your wintertime electricity bill.

The Comparison

Enmax Easymax Seasonal Solar

Seasonal Solar is available to Easymax by Enmax customers. With a competitive high rate for the summer months, and your option of Easymax rate (fixed or floating term) for the rest of the year, Seasonal Solar is an easy way to make the most out of your solar electricity.

Pre-existing Easymax customers can use their current Rate fall through early Spring, while qualifying for the high rate in the summer months. Depending the rate you are signed on for, this could be a benefit over the solar club, which both the low and high rate are consistent and the same across the board. However, we should note that at the time of writing, the low-rate available to The Solar Club is cheaper than cheapest rate offered by EasyMax.

UtilityNET Solar Club

The Solar Club is offered by dozens of different community marketers throughout the province, but is ultimately operated by UtilityNET. These marketers will invariably be very similar to one another, with the same high and low rates (fees will vary between marketers).

There are a few unique incentives that the Solar Club offers to its members. For starters, each year you earn 3% cash back on your imported Electricity, as well as Natural Gas usage with the Solar Club marketer.  The Solar Club is environmentally minded, offering to offset half of your grid imports with green RECs, automatically.

The flexibility offered by the Solar Club is ultimately its strongest selling point: You can choose to have your credits paid out directly, and you can even retroactively change  between the rates, as far back as your last billing cycle.

CategoryUtilityNET Solar ClubEnmax Easymax Seasonal Solar
RequirementsSmall microgenerator site (<150 kW) with a bidirectional cumulative meter, donation to your local food bank.Small microgenerator site (<150 kW) with a bidirectional cumulative meter.
High Rate30 cents per kWh30 cents per kWh
Low RateApprox. 8.49 cents/ kWhEasymax rate
How often can you changeOnce per billing cycle without penaltyOnce per billing cycle without penalty
When change comes into effectCan choose an effective date as far back as your last meter read date,1 business day of the rest requested change
PaymentBill credit or Direct paymentBill credit
Cashback3% cashback on all energy imported from the gridNon-Applicable

Our conclusions

While both options are strong ways to maximize your solar microgeneration, we favor the Solar Club slightly over Easymax Seasonal Solar, primarily for their flexibility and their commitments to the environment.

If you are already an Easymax customer, it makes too much sense staying with Enmax – it will be easy to get started on the Seasonal rate, and you can switch between the Seasonal rate and your pre-existing Easymax rate – which might be cheaper than what the Solar Clubs offer you.

In terms of flexibility, we must give points out to the Solar Club. From flexibility with the date of change, where you can choose a day within the last month, to having the option to use your payment for future bills or have it paid to you directly, the Solar Club is a member friendly program that is strongly invested in the environment and Microgeneration in Alberta.

With that being said, both programs are strong choices for Albertan solar microgenerators that can improve the  return on your solar investment.

Primary Sidebar

Footer

EnmaxEpcorSponsor EnergyEncorDirect EnergyRite Rate
EasyMaxEncorSpot PowerHudson EnergySummitt EnergyEncor

Get Monthly Energy Insights!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Alberta fair competition statement:

Customers are free to purchase natural gas services or electricity services from a retailer of their choice. For a list of retailers, visit www.ucahelps.gov.ab.ca or call 310-4822 (toll free in Alberta).

review
  • Scholarship Information
  • Press Room
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 ENERGYRATES.CA

This website uses cookies and similar tracking technology for several purposes, including enhancing your experience when you visit our websites and personalizing ads/content available on our website. You can learn more about our use of these technologies in our Privacy Policy. By continuing to use this website, including clicking off or closing this banner, you consent to the use of these technologies by this website.