3.75°C Vancouver

Jan 2, 2025 4:03 PM - The Canadian Press

New year brings new Alberta taxes, electricity 'rate of last resort'

Share On
new-year-brings-new-alberta-taxes-electricity-rate-of-last-resort
The rate is set at about 12 cents per kilowatt hour until 2027. It's meant to shield against price spikes, as the previous option fluctuated from month to month.

Alberta's electricity ``rate of last resort''starts today, replacing the province's previous default rate forconsumers who don't have a contract.

The rate is set at about 12 cents per kilowatt hour until 2027. It's meant to shield against price spikes, as the previous option fluctuated from month to month.

Retailers must confirm with customers whether they want to sign on to a competitive rate, which can be much lower.

Albertans also start paying today a tax on vaping products to fall in line with existing federal taxes.

The governments say the tax is meant to discourage vaping,especially by young people.

Early in the new year, Alberta plans to impose a $200 registration tax on electric vehicles. The move is meant to recoup what electric vehicle drivers don't pay in fuel taxes.

An exact start date for that tax has yet to be announced.

Latest news

thousands-of-federal-employees-receive-potential-layoff-notices
CanadaJan 19, 2026

Thousands of federal employees receive potential layoff notices

Federal public service employees across multiple departments have been notified that their positions could be affected by upcoming workforce reductions. The notices, often called workforce adjustment notices, signal that job cuts may be coming but do not confirm who will ultimately lose employment. The Public Service Alliance of Canada reported that 1,775 of its members received notices last week. Affected employees work in areas including Public Services and Procurement Canada, Shared Services Canada, Statistics Canada, and the Treasury Board Secretariat. Similarly, the Professional Institute
public-hearing-opens-into-2015-death-of-myles-gray-following-vancouver-police-altercation
BCJan 19, 2026

Public hearing opens into 2015 death of Myles Gray following Vancouver police altercation

A public hearing examining the 2015 death of Myles Gray during an encounter with Vancouver police begins today in Vancouver. The hearing, conducted by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, is expected to continue for 10 weeks and will investigate the circumstances surrounding Gray’s fatal injuries following a confrontation with multiple officers in Burnaby, B.C. The hearing was requested by Gray’s family after a discipline authority cleared all seven officers involved of misconduct in 2024. Margaret Gray, the mother of the 26-year-old, is scheduled to be the first witness. She h
AlbertaJan 19, 2026

Keyera temporarily closes Alberta Envirofuels plant after equipment failure

Keyera Corp. has temporarily shut down its Alberta Envirofuels facility following the failure of a critical component, the company confirmed. The unplanned outage began earlier this month, affecting the company’s biofuels operations in the province. The Calgary-based energy company, which operates pipelines, storage terminals, and natural gas processing facilities across Canada and the United States, said it anticipates the plant will resume operations in May. In light of the unexpected shutdown, Keyera plans to advance a six-week major turnaround originally scheduled for the fall, completin
canada-expresses-concern-over-u-s-threats-on-greenland-purchase
CanadaJan 19, 2026

Canada expresses concern over U.S. threats on Greenland purchase

Canada has raised concerns over recent U.S. threats of tariffs tied to its pursuit of Greenland, the self-governing Danish territory in the Arctic. Prime Minister Mark Carney described the situation as “concerning,” highlighting potential diplomatic tensions in the region. The warnings come after President Donald Trump announced that eight European nations-Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland-could face a 10 per cent tariff starting February 1. Trump said the tariffs could rise to 25 per cent on June 1 if no agreement is reached for the
supreme-court-defers-bikram-singh-majithias-bail-petition-to-february-2
IndiaJan 19, 2026

Supreme Court defers Bikram Singh Majithia’s bail petition to February 2

The Supreme Court on Thursday postponed the hearing of a bail petition filed by Punjab politician and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia. During the proceedings, the government requested two weeks to file its response, prompting the court to set the next hearing for February 2. Majithia, a prominent Akali Dal figure, was arrested on June 25 in connection with a case registered by the Vigilance Bureau. He faces allegations of acquiring assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The postponement means that the legal process regarding his bail will continue into next mo

Related News