Just Energy has announced an energy plan that may catch the attention of consumers looking to take more control of their energy costs. As its name suggests, the Predict-A-Bill plan allows homeowners to have more predictability and sign up for a flat bill system. This means that customers can avoid surprises by paying the same amount every month for their natural gas and electricity, similar to how your cell phone contract works.
Fixed rates are often suggested to anyone looking for stable utility costs. It’s a simple equation: For the duration of your contract, you’re charged with the same amount of money for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity or gigajoule (GJ) of natural gas you use. This means that if you consume more energy on a given month, your energy bill might be higher than you expected.
Instead of fixing your energy rate, the Predict-A-Bill plan provides you with a fixed energy bill every month regardless of how much energy you use (within a specific threshold).
According to Just Energy, this plan is designed to keep your natural gas and electricity supply costs the same each month for the duration of your plan, which leaves little room for surprises when opening your utility bills.
How the Predict-A-Bill plan works and who can sign up:
- For natural gas, the Predict-A-Bill plan covers the first 25 GJ each month. The maximum signup volume is 150 GJ per year.
- For electricity, the Predict-A-Bill plan covers the first 1,500 kWh each month. The maximum signup volume is 15,000 kWh per year.
As a comparison, the average household in Alberta uses 110 GJ of natural gas per year. For electricity, the average house in the province uses 7,200 kWh per year.
Essentially, if you use up to 25 GJ of gas and 1,500 kWh of electricity the amount charged will be the same each month. Anything over that, and you’ll be charged an additional fixed amount per GJ or kWh. The thresholds are designed to ensure that most Albertans will only pay the flat monthly charge.
However, it’s important to note that this only affects your supply charges, the portion of the bill that Albertans have control over, it does not refer to the other charges and fees you may see on your energy bill, as those are regulated by the province. This includes transportation, storage, taxes and other utility or third-party charges. There is also a variable transportation charge, which changes each month and is based on forecasted prices.
As posted on the Just Energy website, the termination fee is the same for other energy plans: $0 if you call Just Energy to cancel your agreement. Customers who sign up for the dual fuel option (bundled) can save $10/month.
For more information on the Predict-A-Bill plan and other Just Energy services, you can call the retailer at 1-866-288-3105 or go to their website here.
Do you want to see how this plan compares to other options in Alberta? Enter your postal code at the form above or go to EnergyRates.ca. You will be able to see an unbiased list of the major energy providers in Alberta and find out which one offers the lowest energy rates for your home.
