Utility Accounts & Rates

Never miss a utility bill payment ! Use the form below to sign up for automatic payments for your utility bill, collected every two months (bi-monthly).

Pre-authorized Utility Payment Form

Reduce your impact on nature, every little act counts! Get your utility bill sent to your email address instead of receiving a paper bill.

Like many other municipalities, the Town moved to a full cost recovery philosophy in 2020. A charge of $2 per billing will be added to cover the cost to produce and mail out paper invoices.

Signing up to receive your utility bill by email is easy

Contact us online or call 403-938-8937 with your utility account number or home address!

Creating a Virtual Town Hall account gives you quick access to your utility and property tax accounts online. You can also view your utility bill online and request e-billing for your utility bill!

Create an account

Create a Virtual Town Hall account

Virtual Town Hall Sign in

Sign into Virtual Town Hall

Did you know that the Town does not actively monitor your individual daily water consumption, but the new water meter portal allows you to do this for yourself in real-time? The new water portal also allows you to set up high water consumption alerts, which will help you catch an undetected leak before your bill could potentially get very high. 

Portal Benefits

Your new meter and transmitter use radio frequency (RF) and innovative technology for more accurate billing, reflecting realtime water consumption, providing you with more insight into your consumption habits. The new modernized water infrastructure provides water customers with enhanced water conservation and leak detection information.

Online Customer Portal - Your water has gone digital!

Try the water meter portal

Estimate your water bill using the Utility Bill Calculator!

Use this calculator in the summertime to keep track of your outdoor water consumption and the direct impact it may have on your next utility bill. Since utility fees are directly linked to usage, this is a great tool to help you save money!

Try the Water Utility Calculator

We love this You Tube video from the City of Saskatoon that showcases when and how much to water lawns, and how to know when your lawn needs watering. Information on the use of sprinklers and timed irrigation systems, xeriscaping, rain barrels and mulch is also included.

Watch the video

The guiding principles for setting utility rates are:

• To promote wise water use, increase water conservation and reduce non-essential water consumption (e.g. irrigation).
• Long term stabilization of utility revenues.
• Pricing based primarily on water consumption. Long term objective is that the rates will be based on 90% consumption and 10% fixed charges.
• Combined water and sewer rates
  • Sewer production based on water consumption
  • Note: summer sewer consumption based on a household’s average winter water consumption (as outdoor watering does not go to the sanitary sewer system for processing).

The vast majority of municipalities in Alberta have franchise fees. 

What does the Town use these fees for? 

This is a pool of revenues to provide services to the Town.

Why does the Town collect franchise fees?

The fees compensate the Town for direct costs, restrictions on planning and development due to utility rights of way, as well as inherent risks related to utility access.

When was the last increase/change?

What is the maximum rates allowed under the Alberta Utilities Commission?

Electricity is 20% and for natural gas is 35% under Method A.

What is a franchise fee?

In some municipalities, franchise fees are charged in lieu of municipal property taxes. Utility providers then charge these costs to their customers – the residents, businesses, agencies and others who use electricity and gas. The franchise fees are included in the costs that all utility customers pay.

How will the increase in franchise fees rates affect my utility rates?

Utility providers chargeback the franchise fee costs to their customers – the residents, businesses, agencies and others who use electricity and gas.

Why did the Town request an increase to the franchise fees?

The Town is using a two-stage process to gradually increase franchise fees towards a level that is comparable to similar size communities and then to achieve a target of 5% total revenue.

Who does the Town collect franchise fees from?

The Town provides utility providers with access to town land on which they locate utility infrastructure such as pipelines for natural gas or wires for electricity distribution. When utility providers run infrastructure on privately owned land, they have to pay rent. It is the same for publicly owned infrastructure. Utility providers are also granted exclusive right to provide a utility service within a municipality. In other words, they are given an exclusive franchise to provide particular utility service. Franchise agreements are common in the public utility sector, particularly with respect to the delivery of electricity and gas.

Franchise Fee timeline for last approval was:

The franchise fee increases were included in Bylaw 27-18, which had first read by Town Council on May 14, 2018. The second and third reading was held on December 10, 2018.

Fines
Municipal Enforcement enforces the Watering Schedule Bylaw to ensure that residents and businesses/institutions are in compliance. The fines for not obeying the water regulations range from $100—$2,500.

Outdoor Watering Abuse
Have you witnessed outdoor water use outside of the watering schedule? Complete this form to notify of abuse on outdoor watering in the community. 

Report Watering Abuse

In 2018 Administration reviewed and concluded that an updated water bylaw inclusive of current industry language, amendments made to the previous water bylaw was required. A combination of the extended dry weather during the summer of 2017 and a request from Alberta Environment Protection Agency resulted in administration developing a Water Shortage Response Plan. The plan included an updated outdoor watering schedule that balances the supply and demand requirements for water during the peak outdoor watering season and provides further clarity on the ability to hand water during this time period. As a result, a new Water Bylaw 24-18 was prepared by Town Administration and approved at the May 14, 2018 Council Meeting.   

Bylaw 24-18

The amendments to Bylaw 09-17 were approved on the May 14, 2018 Council Meeting.  Changes includeda rate for manual water meter reading, fees for non-potable water use and an incentive for residents to subscribe for e-billing for their Town utility bills.

Bylaw 25-18 to Amend Bylaw 09-17 Fees, Rates and Charges Bylaw

Bylaw 09-17 Fees, Rates and Charges Bylaw