Editing Deregulation (section)

=== Canada ===
{{Update section|date=August 2021}}
{{More citations needed|section|date=August 2021}}
{{See also|Electricity policy of Ontario}}

Natural gas is deregulated in most of the country, with the exception of some Atlantic provinces and some pockets like Vancouver Island and Medicine Hat. Most of this deregulation happened in the mid-1980s.<ref name="PIAC">{{citation
 |title=Ontario Electricity Restructuring 
 |chapter=A Funny Thing happened On the Way to Utopia 
 |publisher=Public Interest Advocacy Centre 
 |date=11 November 2002 
 |chapter-url=http://www.piac.ca/energy/ontario_electricity_restructuring/ 
 |access-date=2009-04-26 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607083903/http://www.piac.ca/energy/ontario_electricity_restructuring/ 
 |archive-date=7 June 2008 
}}</ref>  [[Comparison shopping website]]s operate in some of these jurisdictions, particularly Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. The other provinces are small markets and have not attracted suppliers. Customers have the choice of purchasing from a local distribution company (LDC) or a deregulated supplier. In most provinces the LDC is not allowed to offer a term contract, just a variable price based on the spot market. LDC prices are changed either monthly or quarterly.

[[Ontario]] began deregulation of electricity supply in 2002, but pulled back temporarily due to voter and consumer backlash at the resulting price volatility.<ref name="PIAC"/> The government is still searching for a stable working regulatory framework.

The current status is a partially regulated structure in which consumers have received a capped price for a portion of the publicly owned generation. The remainder has been at market price and there are numerous competing energy contract providers. However, Ontario is installing Smart Meters in all homes and small businesses and is changing the pricing structure to Time of Use pricing. All small volume consumers were scheduled to shift to the new rate structure by the end of 2012.

[[Alberta]] has deregulated its electricity provision. Customers are free to choose which company they sign up with, but there are few companies to choose from and the consumer price of electricity has increased substantially as it has in all other Canadian provinces.. Consumers may choose to remain with the public utility at the Regulated Rate Option.