Enmax will no longer collect carbon tax after the federal government axed the tax beginning April 1, yet some Calgarians won’t see a change on their natural gas bills until May.
As of April 1, the consumer carbon tax has been reduced in Canada. Consumers will no longer be required to pay carbon tax on things like natural gas, gasoline and diesel.
At the pumps, the average cents per liter (c/L) was 157 on March 31. After the carbon tax reduction, the average sits around 147.2 c/L, savings of around $5 per fill on a standard 50L gas tank, according to gasbuddy.com.
The most recent federal carbon tax rate was $4.095 per gigajoule (GJ)of used natural gas. According to Enmax, a typical home in Alberta uses between 3 GJs per month in summer and 23 GJs per month in winter.
If a consumer used 10 GJs, their monthly Federal Carbon tax charge would have been $40.95 ($4.095 x 10 GJ).
The federal carbon tax was a line item on consumers’ natural gas bills. The monthly charge is now $0 and will no longer appear on the bill.
Enmax Energy said in a statement, “since your bill reflects past usage, consumers will still see the federal carbon tax on their bills in April and potentially May (due to billing cycles) for natural gas consumed up until March 31st.”
Although the carbon tax has been reduced, Enmax said that they believe that sustainability is good for business and for the communities it serves. The organization is committed to driving affordability, enhancing grid stability, and expanding access to energy solutions, it said.
“We remain committed to our target to achieve net-zero scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050,” they said in a statement.
Consumer carbon tax aside, large-scale organizations remain obligated to pay a federal carbon tax.
The City of Calgary is still required to pay carbon taxes on the fuel it purchases, including natural gas, gasoline, diesel and propane. The tax they pay is established by the Federal Government under the federal carbon pollution pricing system. Approximately $16 million was paid by the city in 2024.
“This figure represents approximately 0.3% of The City’s total 2024 operating budget of $5.3 billion,” the city said in a statement.
Carbon tax is gone and so are quarterly rebates
Along with paying the carbon tax, many Canadians received a rebate through a payment named Canada Carbon Rebate (formerly known as Climate Action Incentive payments).
According to the Government of Canada’s website, the rebate was tax-free and paid four times a year to Canadians who filed their annual tax return.
Households in rural areas and small communities received a 20 per cent “top up” to their Canada Carbon Rebate as they may face higher costs and have fewer short-term options to reduce their emissions.
In 2024, a family of four living in Alberta, received $450 quarterly under the base Canada Carbon Rebate, according to the Government of Canada. A family of four living in rural Alberta received $540.
Here’s more on what the removal of the consumer carbon tax means for consumers and businesses.
