Electricity and Natural Gas Retailers in Medicine Hat and Outlying Areas
The utility companies owned by the city are the main suppliers of electricity and natural gas to residents of Medicine Hat, as well as inhabitants of some nearby towns and areas, including Redcliff. In these nearby areas, retailers may offer natural gas and electricity at competitive rates, depending on the locale. These energy retailers include:
- AltaGas
- ATCO Energy
- Burst Energy
- Direct Energy
- Encor by EPCOR
- ENMAX Energy
- Hudson Energy
- Just Energy
- TransAlta
- Spot Power
Due to the complicated nature of the electricity and natural gas market in the Medicine Hat area, small businesses and industrial customers interested in retail offerings are encouraged to contact us for more information.
Medicine Hat’s municipal utilities supply the city with electricity and natural gas under the Rate of Last Resort (ROLR), previously known as the RRO. In outlying areas, ROLR retailers vary widely, but include AltaGas Utilities, Direct Energy, and Medicine Hat Electric and Gas Utilities.
History of Electricity and Natural Gas in Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat has a population of 61,000 people, making it one of the larger cities in southern Alberta.
The city of Medicine Hat was born when the Canadian Pacific Railway reached the area in 1883, and made a discovery that shaped the city’s future. While drilling for sources of water to supply the company’s steam-driven locomotives, the drill rig unexpectedly caught fire and burned to the ground. Subsequent examination showed that the rig had struck natural gas.
This unplanned discovery was actually considered to be a hindrance at the time. Searches for sources of coal and water over the next decade turned up more sources of natural gas, as well as gas sands that would be developed in later years. It would ultimately turn out that Medicine Hat was sitting on more than 20.5 billion cubic metres (780 billion cubic feet) of natural gas deposits.
Thanks to Medicine Hat’s luck, the city was the first in Alberta to be supplied with natural gas. This was due in part to the fact that city leaders ultimately had to lay claim to sole drilling rights, because of constant mishaps caused by residents attempting to drill water wells. The City of Medicine Hat Gas Utility was formed, and has been providing Medicine Hat with natural gas service continuously since 1901. The city’s electric utility quickly followed suit in 1904, supplying electricity generated by diesel fuel, until technology was developed that allowed the city of Medicine Hat’s power plant to effectively convert natural gas to electricity.
