Resources
Everything you always wanted to know about electricity and natural gas markets, but were too disinterested to ask about before is right here.
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Quick Links
Alberta Power Pool Pricing Information
Industry Associations
Check your Site Address
Governance of the Alberta Energy Industry
Wire Service Providers (WSP)
Utilities Consumer Advocate
Understanding the Natural Gas Market
Utilities Consumer Advocate
Understanding the Electricity Market
As an Energy Marketer in a deregulated market, we must maintain bonded prudential accounts with the Alberta Electric Systems Operator (AESO), as well as the Distribution companies. Both of these prudentials are to ensure that if the customer defaults on their payment, the distributors or the generators are reimbursed.
Asking for a Prudential Security Payment that pays a 3% per annum return to the customer is one mechanism we are using to cover this cost and risk on an incremental basis. Your investment in our prudential account allows us to keep our rates lower and continues to save you money on your energy bill. The interest is credited to your monthly bill and the Prudential Security Payment is fully refundable should you choose another Energy Marketer for your energy needs.
Some conditions apply: The minimum amount that must be maintained on deposit will be the equivalent to twice the average monthly electricity bill and is based on the rate chosen. The amount of the prudential must be debited from your bank account prior to enrollment. If we do not receive your normal monthly payment for energy consumed by the due date indicated on the bill, we reserve the right to apply the funds from the prudential toward the outstanding billed amount and may de-enroll your site.
No, if you do not have this information from your current bill, we can find it for you.
Yes, regulated rate (month-to-month) customers can switch over at any time. If you have signed a long-term contract, we encourage you to contact your current retailer/Energy Marketer to verify the cancellation process and to determine if any exit fees or penalties need to be paid, prior to switching to a new energy retailer/Energy Marketer.
No. Services provided by competitive retailers/Energy Marketers differ only by price and other contract features. The electricity or natural gas will continue to come to your home or business, through the same network of wires or pipes, no matter whom you choose as an energy retailer/Energy Marketers.
By law, the local utility company is not allowed to provide different care levels to customers who have chosen an alternate supplier. You will continue to receive the same level of delivery quality, emergency response and meter reading from your current local utility. If, for some reason, an Energy Marketer decided to abruptly end its services, then that company’s customers would automatically be enrolled with the regulated rate provider.
We can service all communities in Alberta except for Medicine Hat and some Rural Electrification Associations (REAs). Still not sure if we service your area? Contact our friendly local customer care team to find out.
There are no enrollment fees to choose us as your Energy Marketer.
Pre-authorized debit from a chequing account is our only method of payment. This charge will appear on your bank statement as UTILNET-****-EL / UTILNET-****-NG
Our payment due dates are based on when your meter is read by the distribution company. The meter readings and consumption information is sent to us electronically and bills are produced with a payment date seven days after the billing date.
Our new Pick-a-Date program gives customers the ability to pick the date payment for their monthly invoices are withdrawn from their account. All electricity and natural gas customers can choose any day of the month (1st – 28th) or the last day of the month for their payment date (some conditions apply). If you are interested in taking advantage of this new program, contact our Customer Care team and they will help get you set up.
Electricity exported to the grid by Small Micro-Generators (MG), as defined under the provisions of the Province of Alberta, Electric Utilities Act, Micro-Generation Regulation, is calculated based on meter read information provided by your distribution company. The exported electricity meter data is processed on a monthly basis and will be included as a ‘MG Credit’ on your bill. The credit will be calculated using the fixed or variable rate chosen by the customer for their imported energy.
If you have a power outage or other energy related emergency, please call the local utility company for your area (ATCO Electric, ENMAX, EPCOR, FORTIS Alberta, ATCO Gas, etc.) Contact numbers for the utility may also be found on your current bill.
We are very concerned about the security and confidentiality of your personal information. Each account is secured by a unique combination or User ID and password and all systems and data are stored in a secure, fully redundant data center that is monitored 24/7.
Yes, we provide paper bills at a monthly cost of $3.25.
If you qualify as one of the following customer types, please contact our Customer Care team to request free paper bills.
• Customers who self-identify as persons with disabilities
• Customers without home Internet access or mobile data services
• Seniors aged 65 or older
The difference between cable and DSL internet services is mainly in the way that the service is delivered. DSL runs through lines typically associated with telephone service, where cable runs through lines typically associated with cable television service. If your current internet provider is Shaw, you have a cable internet connection. If your current internet provider is Telus, there is a good chance you have a DSL connection.
A cable connection runs through coaxial cabling. You are not required to have active cable television service in your home to receive cable internet service. Cable internet is a shared service, which means that the line running into your home is a branch of a larger trunk, which also feeds into your neighbour’s homes. If the trunk is not wide enough to feed all of the users in your area, you may notice some congestion which leads to slower speeds when everyone is using the service at one time.
A DSL connection requires an active phone line. If you do not have an active traditional home phone service at home, we will set up what is called a “dry loop”, which acts as an active “ghost” phone line. DSL connection is a dedicated line, meaning it is yours and only yours. Your bandwidth will not be affected by other users in the area, but it is very dependent on the quality of infrastructure and your distance from the nearest Central Office where the service connects to the outside world. The quality of infrastructure and your distance from a Central Office will determine what speeds your home is eligible for.
Internet speed is measured by how much data the connection can download (download speeds) or upload (upload speeds) per second. For most households, having fast download speeds are what’s important. That’s what we use for common activities such as streaming TV, downloading music, and browsing social media.
Finding the right speed for your household depends on your internet usage habits. Speeds of 25 Mbps or above will support most online activity, such as HD streaming, online gaming, web browsing, and downloading music. Internet speeds of 100 Mbps and over are often chosen by those who want their internet connection to support multiple devices and users at once.
To learn more about internet speeds, visit our understanding internet speeds page.
Q Wave utilizes the infrastructure put in place across Canada by the “big guys”. If you are currently a Shaw/Telus customer or are located in Alberta or British Columbia, we can most likely service your area. Some exceptions exist in rural or remote areas. Not sure if you would qualify for service with us? Contact us to find out.
Absolutely! If you are located in Alberta or British Columbia we can most likely service your area. We do encourage you to check your service agreement with your current internet provider before switching to ensure you won’t be charged any exit fees or penalties when you switch.
No. At Q Wave we give you the freedom to choose a great rate, without having to lock in to a long-term contract. You can switch plans or cancel with us at any time.
To access internet service in your home, you will need a modem. To connect multiple devices, or to achieve WiFi service, you will need a router. Some modems are a combination device, which include a built-in router.
All Q Wave customers are required to purchase or rent a Q Wave modem. We provide the option to rent/purchase either a standalone modem (if you do not need a router or would like to supply your own) or a modem-router combination device.
No. All Q Wave customers are required to purchase or rent a Q Wave modem. We provide the option to rent/purchase either a standalone modem (if you do not need a router or would like to supply your own) or a modem-router combination device.
Q Wave utilizes the infrastructure put in place across Canada by the “big guys”, which means the reliability of your internet connection will not change. The only difference between the internet plans offered by us and the large corporate monopolies in the market is price and other plan features.
Yes. It is our understanding that if you cancel your internet services with Shaw or Telus and do not have any other services with them (such as TV or home phone), you will no longer have access to your Telus or Shaw supplied email address. If you currently have a Shaw or Telus email address and would like to switch providers, we encourage you to contact your current provider to check if switching will interfere with your email service.
No. At Q Wave we give our customers the freedom to choose a great rate without having to lock in to a long-term contract. You can switch plans or cancel with us at any time. We do charge a $100 fee should you cancel within the first 30 days of signing up with us.
Yes. All Cable internet customers will be charged a one-time activation fee of $50 and DSL internet customers will be charged a one-time activation fee of $70.
Cable: Yes. Cable Internet customers will be charged a one-time activation fee of $50. Additionally, all of our Internet plans require that you rent or purchase a Q Wave modem. Cable modem prices are listed below. You will also be charged $15 to have the modem shipped to your home.
| Hardware Device: | Price: |
|---|---|
| Cable Modem Rental | $10.00/month |
| Cable Modem Purchase | $159.00 |
| Cable Modem/Router Combo Rental | $10.00/month |
| Cable Modem/Router Combo Purchase | $159.00 |
DSL: Yes. DSL Internet customers will be charged a one-time activation fee of $70.56. If you do not have a telephone landline with TELUS, what is called a “Dry Loop” would need to be installed ($37.23) and wiring by a technician would be required in and around your home ($100). If you do have a telephone landline with TELUS, the dry loop and wiring fees may not apply. Our Customer Care team will assess your current set up and advise what fees will be required. A monthly ILEC Surcharge (Rate Band) is charged to all DSL customers. The total cost of the monthly ILEC Surcharge is location dependent. Click here for more information. Additionally, all of our Internet plans require that you rent or purchase a Q Wave modem.
| Hardware Device: | Price: |
|---|---|
| DSL Modem Rental | $7.00/month |
| DSL Modem Purchase | $90.00 |
| DSL Modem/Router Combo Rental | $8.50/month |
| DSL Modem/Router Combo Purchase | $120.00 |
Yes, we provide paper bills at a monthly cost of $3.25.
If you qualify as one of the following customer types, please contact our Customer Care team to request free paper bills.
- Customers who self-identify as persons with disabilities
- Customers without home Internet access or mobile data services
- Seniors aged 65 or older
All of the internet plans offered by Q Wave include unlimited usage, giving you the freedom to stream, game, and download to your hearts content.
This varies from home to home as you have to take the size of your home and the placement of your router into consideration. If you have a small home or apartment, a budget router may suffice, as the area it needs to cover is smaller. If you have a larger home with multiple levels, you may need a more powerful router, or a WiFi booster to ensure WiFi coverage for your entire home.
When setting up your system, avoid placing your router close to metal objects and appliances that emit electromagnetic waves and try to place it roughly in the center of your home.
Step 1: Don’t panic.
Step 2: If you have cable internet, check to see if Shaw is currently experiencing an outage by clicking here. If you have DSL internet, check to see if Telus is currently experiencing an outage by clicking here. If there is a current outage in your area, unfortunately all we can do it wait for the outage to be resolved by either Shaw or Telus.
Step 3: Try unplugging your internet modem from its power source for 30 seconds and then plugging it in again. Allow your modem to reboot, this could take as long as 10 minutes.
Step 4: If there isn’t a current outage in your area and restarting your internet modem didn’t fix the issue, contact us and one of our friendly, local customer care team members would be happy to help.
We accept payment via pre-authorized debit from a chequing account.
Are available here.