Electricity Rate Breakdown
Electricity rates for residences and businesses in British Columbia are broken down into two categories: a basic charge or customer charge fee, and energy charges.
The basic charge is a daily fee that is charged—regardless of your electricity consumption—to help cover the cost of maintaining and repairing the energy grid used to distribute electricity throughout the province.
This fee varies depending on whether the customer is a homeowner or business, and in the case of the latter, the size of the business.
As of 2018, for BC Hydro customers, the basic charge is:
- Residential: $0.1956 per day
- Small General Service: $0.3411 per day
- Medium General Service: $0.2502 per day
- Large General Service: $0.2502 per day
As of 2018, for FortisBC customers, the basic charge is:
- Residential: $32.09 per 60-day billing period
- Small Commercial: $38.80 per 60-day billing period
- Commercial: $16.48 per 30-day billing period
Your energy charge is what you are charged for the electricity that you consume, as measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). This rate is not determined by your electricity provider. It is set by the British Columbia Utilities Commission, according to the mandate established by the Utilities Commission Act. This rate is calculated to cover the cost of generating and transmitting electricity, while hedging against changing market conditions.
As of 2018, for BC Hydro customers, the energy charge is:
- Residential: $0.0884 per kWh for the first 1,350 kWh in an average two-month billing cycle, and $0.1326 per kWh for any additional consumption.
- Small General Service: $0.1173 per kWh
- Medium General Service: $0.0906 per kWh
- Large General Service: $0.0567 per kWh
As of 2018, for FortisBC customers, the energy charge is:
- Residential: $0.10117 per kWh for the first 1,600 kWh in a 60-day billing period, and $0.15617 for every kWh thereafter.
- Small Commercial: $0.10195 per kWh
- Commercial: $0.08663 per kWh for the first 8,000 kWh, and $0.07191 for every kWh thereafter.
Natural Gas Rate Breakdown
The natural gas rates charged by FortisBC break down into four major categories: a basic charge, delivery charge, storage and transport charge, and the actual cost of gas. The amount charged for these elements of your natural gas service varies according to location. FortisBC’s 3 service territories are:
- Mainland, Vancouver Island & Whistler
- Revelstoke
- Fort Nelson
Given the complexity of the varying rates for residential and commercial customers in these territories, only current residential rates will be provided below. (Please note: FortisBC provides propane, rather than natural gas, to customers in the Revelstoke service area, but the pricing structure is otherwise identical.)
The basic charge is a flat daily fee that covers the cost of maintaining British Columbia’s natural gas transmission and delivery system. As of 2018, the basic charge is:
- Mainland, Vancouver Island & Whistler: $0.389 per day
- Revelstoke: $0.389 per day
- Fort Nelson: $0.5877 (covers the cost of the first 2 GJs of natural gas)
The delivery charge is a per-GJ fee that covers the cost of delivering the natural gas you use to your home or business. This charge does not include the actual cost of purchasing the gas. As of 2018, the delivery charge is:
- Mainland, Vancouver Island & Whistler: $4.355 per GJ
- Revelstoke: $4.355 per GJ
- Fort Nelson: N/A
The storage and transport charge covers the cost of storing and transporting the natural gas used, prior to final delivery to your home or business. As with the delivery charge, this does not cover the actual commodity cost of the gas. As of 2018, the storage and transport charge is:
- Mainland, Vancouver Island & Whistler: $0.758 per GJ
- Revelstoke: N/A
- Fort Nelson: N/A
The cost of gas covers the cost of purchasing the natural gas you use. As of 2018, the cost of gas is:
- Mainland, Vancouver Island & Whistler: $1.549 per GJ
- Revelstoke: $11.791 per GJ
The pricing structure for the cost of gas in the Fort Nelson service area differs significantly from how charges are assessed elsewhere, and incorporates the delivery and storage and transport charges. Rates in Fort Nelson break down as follows:
- First 2 GJs of gas (included in minimum basic charge): $0.5877 per day
- For the next 28 GJ per month: $5.519 per GJ
- For any usage over 30 GJ per month: $5.417 per GJ