The Average Maritime Electric Electricity Rates in Prince Edward Island
How Does Electricity (Maritime Electric) Work in Prince Edward Island?
The way electricity works in Prince Edward Island is that 98% of power generation is from wind farms. The rest 2% comes from biomass/geothermal and petroleum. Prince Edward Island is one of the greenest provinces in Canada when it comes to electricity generation.
Maritime Electric Company Limited (Maritime Electric), an indirect subsidiary of Fortis Inc., provides electricity service to residential customers in PEI. It is regulated by the Prince Edward Island Regulatory & Appeals Commission.
The Commission regulates the generation, distribution, and transmission of electricity by Maritime Electric Company, Limited and is responsible for, among other things, the approval of electric rates, capital expenditures, capital budget variances, transmission line changes, and energy efficiency programs.
Summerside has its own electrical utility (Summerside Electric). Nonetheless, Maritime Electric Company Limited caters to the electricity needs of all the PEI residents.
Maritime Electric bills have two components:
- Basic Monthly Charge (Fixed): Costs of metering, distribution, and billing administration. It is fixed regardless of how much electricity you consume.
- Energy Charge (Variable): Depends on how much kWh electricity you consume.
The rates are further categorized according to location, type of residence, and usage:
- Residential Urban: All incorporated cities, towns, and villages with population over two thousand served by Maritime Electric.
- Residential Rural: All other areas not included under Residential Urban category served by Maritime Electric.
- Residential Seasonal: Residential Customers who require service to a dwelling other than a principal residence (e.g., summer cottages).
Maritime Electric charges its customers according to a tiered pricing structure. You can use a certain amount of energy each month at a specific price. Once you exceed the threshold, the price changes accordingly.
The threshold here is 2000 kWh per billing period, meaning that you will pay a different amount above the 2000 kWh mark.
Residential service customers and general service customers or industrial service customers with less than 100 kW of maximum monthly metered demand can also opt for equalized billing. It allows you to make equal payments on your electricity bill for the year by pre-authorized debit on the due date of each monthly bill.
What Are the Factors Affecting the Cost of a Maritime Electric Electricity Bill?
Here are some factors that affect the cost of a Maritime electricity bill: Threshold, Property type, Transmission and distribution, Power plant costs, Weather, regulations, location, Load and power factors, Electricity cost, regulatory fees, taxes, Maintenance costs.
What Are the Average Monthly Maritime Electric Electricity Rates in Prince Edward Island?
| Charges | Residential Urban
¢/kWh |
Residential Rural
¢/kWh |
Residential Seasonal
¢/kWh |
|
| Service Charge (per billing period) | $24.57 | $26.92 | $26.92 | |
| Energy Charge | per kWh for first 2000 kWh per Billing Period | 16.26¢ | 16.26¢ | 16.26¢ |
| per kWh for balance kWh per Billing Period | 13.01¢ | 13.01¢ | 13.01¢ | |
Average Monthly Maritime Electric Electricity Rates Based on Usage in Prince Edward Island
| Consumption (kWh) /month | Residential Urban Average Monthly Bill
@16.26¢ kWh |
| 600 kWh | $122 |
| 750 kWh | $147 |
| 1000 kWh | $187 |
*Considering kWh consumption is less than 2000 kWh in the said billing period.
Maritime Electric Rates (Oct 2023)
The Average Rates for Prince Edward Island Water Bills
How Does Water Work in Prince Edward Island?
The way water works in Prince Edward Island is that house owners must have an account with the municipal water and sewer utility in their city or town to get water and sewer services.
Prince Edward Island is dependent on groundwater for its source of drinking water. As groundwater flows through an aquifer, it is naturally filtered.
If your house is in the country, outside cities or towns, it may have to have its own well and septic system. If you are renting a house, your landlord, the property owner, is responsible for the cost of water and sewer services, and this is included in your rent.
About 45% of Islanders are serviced by public water supply systems operated by either a municipality or a private water supply utility. The local water utilities deliver water to your home and take care of the wastewater/sewerage too. In return for these services, you pay an amount proportional to the usage in a month.
There are two charges on your water bill:
- Service Charges (Fixed fee component): It is based on meter size and type of property. It also covers costs of billing, meter maintenance, and future meter replacement.
- Volumetric Charges (Variable amount): It caters capital replacement of the water distribution and wastewater collection systems, roadway damage associated with the utility, and water and wastewater upgrades to serve redevelopment in existing core areas.
What Are the Factors Affecting the Cost of Water?
Here are a few factors that affect the cost of water:
- Home type, meter size
- Household size, seasonal usage
- Appliances
- Water treatment, lake drawing costs
- Maintenance/upgrades
What Are the Average Rates for Water Bills per Month in Prince Edward Island?
Charlottetown
| Meter Size | Fixed Monthly Charge | Commodity Charge /m3 |
| 25mm | $76.00 | $1.454/m3 |
| 37mm | $151.00 | |
| 75mm | $482.00 |
*Rates for both Water & Sanitary Sewerage Service
| Cubic Meter (m3)
monthly usage |
Average Cost
Per month |
| 10 m3
1-2 people |
$91.00 |
| 20 m3
2-3 people |
$105.00 |
| 30 m3
3-5 people |
$120.00 |
Summerside
| Meter Size | Fixed Monthly Charge | Commodity Charge /m3 |
| 25mm | $79.02 | $2.06/m3 |
| 40mm | $99.50 | |
| 75mm | $571.05 |
*Rates for both Water & Sanitary Sewerage Service
| Cubic Meter (m3)
monthly usage |
Average Cost
Per month |
| 20 m3
2-3 people |
$120 |
*Includes water & sanitary sewerage charges and 25mm meter charges.
*Rates for both Water & Sanitary Sewerage Service
CharlotteTown (April 2023) & Summervile (April 2023)
Average Monthly Water Bills by Cubic Meter in Prince Edward Island
| Cubic Meter (m3)
monthly usage |
Average Cost
Per month |
| 10 m3
1-2 people |
$91 |
| 20 m3
2-3 people |
$105 |
| 30 m3
3-5 people |
$120 |
*Includes water & sanitary sewerage charges and 25mm meter charges.
The Average Heating Oil & Wood Rates in Prince Edward Island
How Does Heating Oil Work in Prince Edward Island?
There is no natural gas or NGL production in PEI. People use heating oil and wood to heat up their homes. Oil furnaces are the most common way to heat homes in PEI.
42,000 PEI households, over 65% of all homes, use oil for heating. The remaining homes rely on wood, electricity, heat pumps, or some combination for heat.
Heating with wood pellets is the lowest operating cost option for PEI households.
Here’s a short annual cost comparison between these three natural gas alternatives:
| Source | Annual Heating Cost |
| Wood Pellets (Gasoline not included) | $3,470 |
| Electric Resistive
Heating |
$5,836 |
| Heating Oil | $4,363 |
You will have to find an oil company which will make regular oil deliveries to your home. Several retailers are working in PEI to provide heating oil to residential customers. Here are a few names:
- Island Petroleum
- Kenmac
- Irving
- Superior
- Noonan
- Parkland
These heating oil retailers charge you based on how many liters of heating oil you purchase from them and, of course, the delivery charges.
The price for Furnace Oil is set by the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) and can change twice every month. Your price paid per liter will be the posted price at the time of delivery.
Fuelwood works similarly. You can buy any quantity from Fuelwood Producers in PEI.
What Are the Factors Affecting the Cost of Heating Oil & Wood?
Here are a few factors that affect the cost of heating oil and wood: market conditions, retailer, quantity, seasonal demands, quality of fuel, natural disasters and politics, crude oil costs, supply and demand, wood harvesting costs.
What Are the Average Monthly Heating Oil Rates in Prince Edward Island?
| Source | Average Price PerGigajoule |
| Heating Oil | $28/GJ |
| Natural Gas (GJ) | Cost |
| 10 GJ | $280 |
| 15 GJ | $420 |
| 20 GJ | $560 |
Every retailer has its own price. You can get a quote by contacting them by phone or online, and the heating oil/wood will be delivered right to your door.
The Average Internet Prices in Prince Edward Island
How Does the Internet Work in Prince Edward Island?
The way the internet works in PEI is that the delivery of Internet services to households and businesses is delivered by Internet Service Providers (ISPs). As the province is still progressing, the internet infrastructure is not as developed as in other provinces.
The provincial government has made several contracts with Bell Fibre, Xplornet, etc. to expand and improve the internet services in PEI. Prince Edward Island Broadband Fund provides financial assistance to local Prince Edward Island internet service providers (ISPs), communities, and businesses for the installation of infrastructure for enhanced broadband services.
According to CRTC, Prince Edward Island saw increases in its highest prices for internet services. Despite these increases, in Prince Edward Island, the lowest price was $86 in 2016 and $45 in 2019, meaning the internet has become more affordable.
Depending on your location, you can get the internet services through the following mediums:
- DSL (5-45 Mbps)
- Cable (20-200 Mbps)
- Fiber-optic (50-1000 Mbps)
- Satellite (5-25 Mbps)
All ISPs charge you based on the type of connection, download/upload speeds, and bandwidth. You can use the National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map by the Government of Canada to see which ISPs operate in your area.
Can’t find an ISP for your county? The following is a list of known ISPs in each county i PEI:
| Prince County | Queens County | Kings County |
| Bell | Bell | Bell |
| Airtech Communications | WickedEH? | WickedEH? |
| Buzz Network | Red Sands | TNC Wireless |
| Eastlink | Eastlink | Eastlink |
| Island Telecom | Island Telecom | PEI Monitoring |
| Xplornet | Xplornet | Xplornet |
| City Wide Communications | PEI Monitoring | City Wide Communications |
What Are the Factors Affecting the Cost of the Internet?
Here are the factors that affect the cost of internet in PEI:
- Speed and bandwidth
- Rural or urban
- Type of internet connection (DSL, cable, fiber-optic, or satellite)
- Service Provider (ISP)
- Add-ons
What Is the Average Cost of Internet Bills per Month in Prince Edward Island?
According to the CRTC, the average person in PEI pays $72 per month for a 50/10 Mbps service with unlimited monthly data transfer. Here are the average Internet costs in PEI based on type of connection and speed.
| Type of Internet | Mbps | Average Cost |
| DSL | 7Mbps | $42.95/month |
| Cable | 100 Mbps/ 10 Mbps | $52.95/month |
| Fiber-optic | 300 Mbps/ 10 Mbps | $79.95/month |
| Satellite | 10Mbps | $39.99/month |
The Average Cost of Cable TV in Prince Edward Island
How Does Cable Work in Prince Edward Island?
You may be able to receive two or three channels for free using a small antenna sitting on your television, but to get more channels, you need an account with a cable TV operator.
Many local cable TV operators are operating in PEI, offering various packages, prices, and features. Typically, you are charged based on how many basic and exclusive channels you opt for. If you want the channels to be in high definition (HD), the price will go up accordingly.
The following cable TV operator are providing services in Prince Edward Island:
- Eastlink
- Shaw Direct
- Bell FibreOp
- Seaside Communications
According to CRTC’s instructions, licensed distributors must offer a basic television package for $25 per month or less, exempted distributors, such as small cable companies, may offer a service including more channels and at a higher price as their entry-level service. So, the cable TV services are affordable in PEI.
What Are the Factors Affecting the Cost of Cable?
Legacy cable TV heavily depends on the physical hardware and infrastructure for uninterrupted services. Both can affect the cost of cable.
Here are a few other factors that determine how much you’re going to pay for your favourite channels: Area of service, External factors (local competition, downturn in the cable market, etc.), Local or state taxation and fee laws, Costs of shows and broadcasts, Cable prices, Number of channels, Type of channels (sports, international, local, news, entertainment, etc.), HD Channels, VOD (Video on Demand) availability.
What Are Some Affordable Alternatives to Cable?
Legacy cable means “cables,” and lots of them. If you don’t want to get into the hassle, here are a few affordable alternatives to cable: IPTV, Satellite TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Shaw TV, CipherTV (AEBC), VMedia TV, Telus Optik TV.
What Is the Average Cost of Cable TV per Month in Prince Edward Island?
Here are the average cable costs in PEI based on their type of plan.
| Cable TV Company Name | Plan and Basic Channels | Rates |
| VMedia TV | Skinny TV Package | $19.95 |
| Eastlink | Super Sports Pack | $35.95 |
| VMedia TV | Premium Flex TV | $49.95 |
VMedia TV (Feb 2024) & Eastlink.ca (Feb 2024)
The Average Cost of Home Phones in Prince Edward Island
How Do Home Phones Work in Prince Edward Island?
59.4% of the households in PEI have landline service, and that’s more than most of the Canadian provinces. The reason is that landlines offer quick and reliable communication. Traditional copper landlines are self-powering, so they keep working even if there’s a power outage. Your landline is also associated with your exact address. In case of an emergency, EMTs know where you are.
Moreover, it’s easier for senior citizens (who often stay at home) to make and receive a call, unlike a smartphone where they must cycle through home screens just to find the dialer. Also, long-distance calling, 911, voicemail, caller display, all those things are common on both cell phones and home phones. Eastlink & VMedia are popular names when it comes to landline services in PEI. They charge you based on the number of countries included in the plan and added features.
Here are a few features you should look for in a home phone plan: Caller ID with name, Remote voicemail access, Call waiting with caller, Caller ID block, Voicemail, Long-distance calling, Smart Ring, Call Return, Call Screen, Call Trace, Call Waiting, Ring Again, Control, Select Ring, Three Way Calling, Visual Call Waiting, Voicemail to Email (Add-on).
What Are the Factors Affecting the Cost of Home Phones?
Home phones are still in the game as they offer perks that a digital phone or VoIP cannot match. The added features decide how much the service provider is going to charge you. Here are some of the factors that affect the cost of home phones:
- Number of countries included in the plan
- Added taxes or fees
- Added features like (Long-distance calling, 3-way calling, caller ID block, online account management, etc.)
- Voicemail
- Call waiting
What Is the Average Cost of Home Phones per Month Prince Edward Island?
Here are the average home phone bill in PEI based on their type of plan.
| Company Name | Plan and Inclusions | Rates |
| VMedia | 15+ great calling features! | $19.95/mon. |
| Eastlink | Unlimited Canada & U.S. Anytime Calling Plan | $30/mon. |
| Primus.ca | Basic plan and up to 18 calling features available, including Telemarketing Guard® | Starting at $20.00 |
*** Phone activation, connection fees and other one time charges are not included in the rates above.
VMedia TV (Feb 2024), Primus.ca (Feb 2024) & Eastlink.ca (Feb 2024)
The Average Utility Costs in Charlottetown
| Utility | Average Monthly Cost |
| Electricity
750kWh @16.26¢ kWh |
$147 |
| Water
20 m3 |
$105 |
| Heating Oil | $363 |
| Internet
50/10 Mbps service with unlimited monthly data transfer |
$72.00 |
| Cable | $35.95 |
| Home Phone | $23 |
| Total average utility cost in Charlottetown
Heating oil not included |
$382.95 |
CharlotteTown (April 2023), VMedia (Feb 2024), Eastlink.ca (Feb 2024) & CRTC (2023)
The Average Cost of Utilities Across Canada
| Province | Electricity | Water | Gas | Internet | Cable | Home Phone | Total Monthly Cost |
| Quebec | $199.74 | Included in hydro | $61.66 | $69 |
$30.24 |
$24.98 | $323.96 (gas not included) |
| Ontario | $102.09 | $90.40 | $328.93 | $64.00 | $49.00 | $34.00 | $339.49 (gas not included) |
| Alberta | $106 | $78 | $39.41 | $74 | $35 | $40 | $266.41 (electricity not included) |
| British Columbia | $187 | $244 | $86.48 | $75 | $23 | $43 | $572 (gas not included) |
| Manitoba | $113.00 | $66.40 | $98.00 | $67.00 | $89 | $47 | $382.40 (gas not included) |
| Saskatchewan | $210.15 | $97.06 | $123.94 | $69.00 | $70.00 | $21.54 | $467.75 (gas not included) |
| PEI | $147 | $105 | $363 | $72 | $35.95 | $23 | $382.95 (gas not included) |
| New Brunswick | $120 | $79 | $130 | $70 | $52 | $23 | $344 (gas not included) |
| Nova Scotia | $195 | $108 | $179 | $71 | $25 | $21 | $420 (gas not included) |
Conclusion
Utilities ensure that your household functions properly and remains comfortable, but the cost is recurring and variable. Knowing average household utility costs can help you reduce your usage and save tons of money at the end of the year. If you love small-town life and want to enjoy the red sand beaches, PEI is your best bet. The weather is not too hot, not too cold, with the ocean breeze keeping you refreshed. Are you looking for the best moving companies in Charlottetown? Here are the 5 best movers in Charlottetown.
