Farm

A Customer’s eligibility for service and for rates is determined based on the Land or Interest in Land at the time of the intended use of the service or upgraded service.

The Farm Service Rate Assessment provides us with information regarding the nature of your service and the kinds of activities that happen (or will happen) at your Point of Service to ensure the appropriate Electric Distribution Service rate class is applied. 

FortisAlberta requires Customers whose Farm or Residential Point of Service is located on Rural Lands to provide a completed Farm Service Rate Assessment for new applications of Electric Distribution Service, or for existing Electric Distribution Services that require reassignment to a different rate class.

FortisAlberta’s Rate 11 - Residential Service is available to Points of Service serving separate units used for residential purposes, such as a single-family dwelling (e.g., a house). This rate is also available for new separately metered multi-unit residences, such as a condo or apartment building, or for existing multi-unit residences currently served through one meter where a Service and Facilities Charge is billed to each separate unit.

FortisAlberta’s Rate 22 - Farm Service (Demand Metered) is applicable to a Point of Service located on Rural Lands which include a residence and on which agricultural activities are conducted.

The size of a property, extent of the agricultural activities, and/or the lack of revenue generation from agricultural activity does not limit a Customer’s Point of Service from being eligible for a Farm Service rate. (e.g., small, medium and large farm operations are all eligible for Rate 22).

Note:

Rate 21 - Farm Service (Breakered Service) is a closed rate class. Some existing FortisAlberta Customers may continue to have their service billed on FortisAlberta’s Rate 21 - Farm Service (Breakered Service) if the service was in place prior to January 1, 2022 and has remained unchanged, or if they were previously billed as a breakered farm service by another wire owner.

If your Point of Service is being billed under Rate 21 but you require a rate class reassignment or upgrade due to a change in the nature of your service and the kinds of activities that happen (or will happen) at your Point of Service, you must complete a Farm Service Rate Assessment for a rate class reassignment or upgrade.

If applicable, FortisAlberta will email you a Farm Service Rate Assessment once you have submitted an application for a new Electric Distribution Service connection.

If you have an existing Electric Distribution Service that requires reassignment or upgrade to a different rate class, please contact 310-WIRE to determine if a Farm Service Rate Assessment is applicable. 

If you are a customer completing a Farm Service Rate Assessment for a new Electric Distribution Service on Rural Lands, you may scan and email the completed assessment to FortisAlbertaCustomerConnections@fortisalberta.com.

If you are a customer completing a Farm Service Rate Assessment for a rate class reassignment or upgrade to your existing Electric Distribution Service on Rural Lands, you may scan and email the completed assessment to sitemanagement@fortisalberta.com.

We require a Registered Owner on title for the land where the Point of Service is located to complete and sign the Farm Service Rate Assessment, even if another individual is leasing the land.

When completing a Farm Service Rate Assessment, please provide the full legal name of a Registered Owner as listed on the Land Title.

A leased property that meets FortisAlberta’s Farm Service rate criteria is eligible to be placed on our Farm Service rate.

Please note that the Registered Owner on title for the land where the Point of Service is located must complete and sign the Farm Service Rate Assessment, even if that land is leased by another person and regardless of who is conducting the agricultural activity.

Rural Lands are outside of the urban municipal boundaries of a City, Town, Village, Summer Village, or Hamlet as defined in FortisAlberta’s mapping system. This definition is consistent with the definition of Rural Land in the Alberta Utilities Commission Rule 021: Settlement System Code Rules.

To confirm if your Point of Service is located on Rural Lands, please contact us at 310-WIRE.

FortisAlberta’s definition of “agricultural activity” is informed by the Alberta Agricultural Operation Practices Act, and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Canada for Code 11 - Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting, which may change from time to time.

Agricultural activity includes, but is not limited to, any of the following activities, whether or not the agricultural activities are done for profit or payment:

These activities may include raising a combination of the above animals, with no one animal predominating.

If you have an Alberta Farm Fuel Benefit (AFFB) Program registration number or claim income from farming activities for tax purposes with Canada Revenue Agency, it is an indicator that your Point of Service is supporting agricultural activity.

Electricity delivery charges include energy components (transmission and distribution) and non-energy components (local access fees and service charges):

• Transmission charges cover the cost of moving electric energy from generating facilities through high-voltage transmission lines to FortisAlberta’s distribution substation transformers. Transmission charges are determined by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) and approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC).

• Distribution charges cover the cost of moving electric energy from these transformers through FortisAlberta’s local, lower-voltage lines that carry electricity to Customer’s meters. FortisAlberta’s distribution charges are reviewed and approved by the AUC.
  

  FortisAlberta’s distribution charges for Farm Services (Demand Metered) include a Daily Service Charge, a Local Facilities Charge specific to your services capacity requirements (kVA per day), and a System Usage Charge that accounts for the peak metered demand requirements of your service (kVA per day).
  

• Rate riders associated with distribution and transmission charges are also included in the monthly energy delivery charges. Rate riders are used to reconcile previously forecasted costs that were incorporated in rates with the actual costs of operation. Rate riders may be credits or additional charges and are reviewed and approved by the AUC.
  

For information on FortisAlberta’s Rates, Options and Riders Schedules, please visit our Rates, Options and Riders page at www.fortisalberta.com.

Additional information on Farm Service and other rates are available at Customer Guides | FortisAlberta at www.fortisalberta.com.

The Legal Land Location is different from the civic address of your property.

The Legal Land Location is based on the Alberta Township Survey system, which is a grid network that divides the province into equal-sized parcels of land. The Legal Land Location includes the degree co-ordinates for the Meridian, Range, Township, Section, and in some cases, a Legal subdivision. The following is an example format of a Legal Land Location: NE-12-34-56-W4.

This information may be found on your land title, tax assessment or mortgage agreement. If you are uncertain of the Legal Land Location your Point of Service is located on, please contact 310-WIRE for assistance. 

A site is a unique end-use service delivery point. The site ID is your 13-digit "electrical serial number" that FortisAlberta will use to identify your Point of Service to communicate load settlement and consumption data with your Retailer of choice. This number is unique to you, and if we provide your service, it will start with 0040.

The site ID is different than your meter’s digital display number, which is a six or seven-digit number.

FortisAlberta collects and uses personal information about Customers to establish and manage the relationship necessary to provide Electric Distribution Services to Customers.

FortisAlberta is committed to complying with Alberta’s Personal Information and Protection Act (PIPA), which is the privacy legislation that governs how personal information must be managed and protected. To comply with PIPA, FortisAlberta requires your signature as consent to collect and use the information necessary to establish a business relationship with you and/or your Representative.

FortisAlberta’s complete privacy statement is available on our webpage www.fortisalberta.com at Privacy Policy | FortisAlberta.

It is important that you have an account set up with your billing company first. To find billing companies, also known as retailers, in your area, visit the Utilities Consumer Advocate or call them at 310-4822. If you have an existing billing company, simply contact them to begin the request and have your Site ID ready. If you're in our service area, your billing company will send FortisAlberta an order to install the meter. Once we receive the order, installation takes up to three business days.

The Site ID is a 13-digit number specific to your site, like a serial number for your electricity, and is required to install a meter.

To get your Site ID, call 310-WIRE (9473). When you receive your Site ID, you'll need to provide the information to your billing company, also known as your retailer. To find billing companies in your area, visit the Utilities Consumer Advocate website or call them at 310-4822.