# Natural gas/heat in edmonton=fixed or variable better in winter?



## Mike1 (Jul 22, 2015)

Hi,
I have taken natural gas through enmax in edmonton. Was wondering for this winter, is it better to keep it fixed or variable? Which will be cheap for winter?

Thank you


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## chantl01 (Mar 17, 2011)

It's my experience that the government-regulated utility providers pretty much always provide the better deal for the consumer. If you go with a private re-seller at a fixed rate, they are going to build in protection against potential price increases to protect their profit. The re-seller would have to be way off on their estimates of where prices are going for the consumer to benefit. It's pretty much all your risk and very little theirs.


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## nobleea (Oct 11, 2013)

99.9% of the time, the variable regulated rate is better. Just go with it and forget about it.


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## Mike1 (Jul 22, 2015)

Hi,
Thank you. And, fixed or floating for electricity is better?


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## cougar (Oct 15, 2014)

We also use Enmax in Calgary and we have chosen floating for gas and a fixed rate for electricity-don't know the rates in Edmonton and of course none of us know what gas and electricity rates will be in the future so we all have to make our best guess/decision. When I was speaking to Enmax in Calgary just today they told me that whatever I chose( fixed or floating) that I did have the option to change them with 30 days notice. I assume Edmonton would be the same but you can ask them. That means to me if I guessed wrong and I see prices changing in the future I have the chance to call them up and change fixed to floating or vice versa.


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## Mike1 (Jul 22, 2015)

Hi,
Yes. Thank you. Me too. I took the same thing. Direct energy has admin cost less than enmax. For direct energy, it is $9 only and for enmax it is $14. Thats why I am wondering if I should go with Direct energy but not sure if I can change from variable to fixed on direct energy?


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## crr243 (Nov 2, 2015)

Double check with ENMAX, but they used to offer, as part of their EasyMAX program, a portion of your bill back in credit if you have both your gas and electrical with them. I checked a few of my past statements and, for me, the credit amounts to around $8 per bill, which more than offsets the slightly higher admin costs.

Here's an interesting comparison of Direct Energy and ENMAX. Note, though, that the comparison is from this spring and ENMAX, for one, has reduced fixed rates since. 

http://callmepower.ca/en/ab/compare/enmax-vs-direct-energy


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