Direct Energy (DE) and Direct Energy Regulated Services (DERS) are both great companies providing energy services to Albertans. But what is the difference between the two? Read on to understand the differences between the types of energy retailers in Alberta.
When you’re looking to choose your energy solution for your home or business, there are many things to consider, and we know it can seem confusing to understand your choices!
In Alberta, you can choose between a regulated or competitive provider to energize your home or business. DERS is a regulated retailer which means that our services are “regulated” by a government body called the Alberta Utilities Commission or AUC. The AUC approves the plans for how we set our gas and electricity rates and every month they ensure that our rates reflect market conditions and meet the requirements of those price-setting plans.
DE is a competitive retailer and is not regulated by the AUC, meaning it can offer fixed-rate contracts for natural gas and electricity where the rates will not change during the contract term.
Both energy solutions will provide you with natural gas and electricity to help power your home or business, but they are different when it comes to signing up, contracts and rates.
To give you a better understanding of the difference between Direct Energy and Direct Energy Regulated Services, we’ve put together a simple outline to break it down for you.
Direct Energy Regulated Services:
- As a regulated service provider, our monthly rates are based on market prices and reviewed by the AUC to ensure they are fair and accurate.
- To make things easy for you, we do not have sign-up or exit fees, and you don't have to sign a contract with us when you register.
- We also provide an easy setup for new customers. In most cases, we can turn your electricity or natural gas on as soon as you need it.
To find out if DERS provides electricity or natural gas service in your area, click HERE.
- As a competitive retailer DE provides contracted rate options that won’t change during the contract term of either 1, 3 or 5 years.
- They can set the natural gas or electricity rates at the price they think is competitive over the contract period.
- There are no service territory restrictions, so that you can sign-up with them almost anywhere in Alberta.
At DERS, we are proud to provide Albertans with trustworthy service to energize their homes and businesses. If you have any more questions about who we are or the services we provide, please contact us.