Rising Utility Bills in Calgary for Small Businesses Making Them Difficult to Survive

Due to the cold winter and a lack of precipitation, Calgary’s water levels are low. It means that utility bills can be expected to increase as hydro rates will need to be higher for all to conserve.

According to a Calgary business owner, rising utility bills impede his efforts to recuperate after two years of misery brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak. The NDP opposition in Alberta claims that a $150 provincial power refund is insufficient and urges the UCP government to consider additional options, such as rate capping.

The Ironwood Stage & Grill in Inglewood has been struggling since the pandemic forced the cancellation of many live shows at the famous music venue in Calgary.

Despite only being open for around 80% of his typical, pre-pandemic hours, owner Patrick MacIntyre says his electricity consumption has increased by 30% this year.

“At the end of the day, we’re just trying to make ends meet, pay the bills, and keep everyone employed,” MacIntyre said. He said margins were tight before the pandemic, and they’re even tighter today.

“Just because we survived, it doesn’t mean that a switch has been flicked and businesses are back to normal, and profit is beginning to flow.” “Right now, we need the government’s backing to regulate the things they can regulate and help us all live,” MacIntyre added.

On Monday, Premier Jason Kenney announced a $150 electricity refund to help Albertans cope with their high electricity bills this winter.

The majority of households, farms and small companies should be eligible. However, Alberta’s NDP energy critic claims that the reimbursement is insufficient. Kathleen Ganley stated that she would be open to a variety of possibilities.

“You might probably look at capping tariffs in the case of power.” You can also consider implementing a refund scheme or a reverse rate rider. “There are various options, but they all require some funding,” Ganley said on Saturday’s press conference.

“I’ll be urging that they alter their budget to provide long-overdue relief,” Ganley added.

According to the press secretary for the Associate Minister of Natural Gas and Electricity, rate caps such as those proposed by the NDP in the past would not benefit taxpayers in the long term.

The UCP government is “taking a financially responsible strategy to enhance capacity and deal with affordability in the face of market forces, geopolitics, and decarbonization,” according to Taylor Hides in a statement released on Saturday.

“The NDP doesn’t seem to get that utility ratepayers and taxpayers are different.” That’s why any rate cap would be nothing more than a ruse, saving Albertans nothing in the long term. “The old NDP administration adopted short-term remedies like rate controls that did little to improve the future capacity of our energy systems and shifted the expense burden to future taxpayer generations,” Hides said.

If you’re a business owner in Calgary, it’s essential to be aware of the potential increases in your utility bills. While there’s no way to predict precisely how much your bill will go up, it’s essential to budget for the possibility of higher costs. You may also want to consider ways to conserve water at your business, such as installing low-flow fixtures or retrofitting your equipment.

While the rising cost of utilities may be a concern for businesses in Calgary, there are ways to offset the impact. For example, you could consider implementing energy-efficiency measures at your business, which could help reduce your overall energy consumption, lowering your costs. You may also want to look into alternative energy sources, such as solar power, to help offset the cost of hydro.

The rising cost of utilities is a concern for businesses in Calgary, but there are ways to offset the impact. Energy-efficiency measures can help reduce your overall energy consumption, and alternative energy sources can help offset the cost of hydro. This blog post will explore some of the options available to businesses in Calgary. Stay tuned!

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What Are the Reasons for Rising Utility Bills in Calgary for Businesses?

Following are the reasons for rising utility bills in Calgary for businesses:

• Low water levels: Due to the cold winter and a lack of precipitation, Calgary’s water levels are low. It means that our hydro rates will need to be higher to conserve.
• More restrictions on water use: We may also see more restrictions on when we can use water, which could affect how you run your business.
• Increased hydro rates: Hydro rates are also expected to rise as we try to conserve water.
• Budget for higher costs: As a business owner in Calgary, it’s essential to be aware of the potential increases in your utility bills. While there’s no way to predict precisely how much your bill will go up, it’s essential to budget for the possibility of higher costs.
• Consider ways to conserve water: You may also want to consider ways to conserve water at your business, such as installing low-flow fixtures or retrofitting your equipment.
• Explore energy-efficiency measures: Another way to offset the impact of rising utility bills is to explore energy-efficiency measures at your business. It could help reduce your overall energy consumption, which would, in turn, lower your costs.
• Look into alternative energy sources: Finally, you may want to look into alternative energy sources, such as solar power, to help offset the cost of hydro.

There are several ways for businesses in Calgary to offset the impact of rising utility bills. By implementing energy-efficiency measures, exploring alternative energy sources, and conserving water, you can help keep your costs under control.

What Are the Impacts of Rising Utility Bills in Calgary for Businesses?

Following are the impacts of rising utility bills in Calgary for businesses:

• Higher costs: Higher costs are the most apparent impact of rising utility bills. As a business owner, it’s essential to be aware of the potential increase in your monthly bills.
• Reduced profits: Higher costs can also lead to reduced profits for businesses, and it can seriously impact your bottom line and even cause you to close down your business.
• Increased stress: As a business owner, you may also find yourself under increased stress due to the rising cost of utilities, and it can impact your personal life and your business.

It’s essential to be aware of the potential impacts of rising utility bills on your business. By taking steps to offset the impact, you can help reduce the stress on yourself and your business.

What can Businesses Do to Offset the Impact of Rising Utility Bills?

There are a few things businesses can do to offset the impact of rising utility bills, including:

• Implementing energy-efficiency measures: This could help reduce your overall energy consumption, lowering your costs.
• Exploring alternative energy sources: Another way to offset the impact of rising utility bills is to explore alternative energy sources, such as solar power, to help offset the cost of hydro.
• Conserving water: You may also want to consider ways to conserve water at your business, such as installing low-flow fixtures or retrofitting your equipment.

You can help reduce the impact of rising utility bills on your business by taking these steps.

Conclusion

As we have seen, the rise in utility bills is a problem for businesses in Calgary. These companies see increased costs, but they are also struggling to find ways to manage these expenses. This article explored some of the possible solutions businesses can enact to try and mitigate the effects of rising utility bills. While no one solution will work for every business, we hope this article has provided you with some helpful information and ideas. Thank you for reading!

We hope you found this article helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us. Thank you for reading!