Door-to-door energy sales ban

Overview

In a move to strengthen consumer protection, selling household energy products unsolicited door-to-door is prohibited as of January 1, 2017.

This prohibition is for unsolicited sales of household energy products only. These include:

• furnaces
• natural gas and electricity energy contracts
• water heaters
• windows
• air conditioners
• energy audits

Energy companies still have multiple ways to sell directly to Albertans, including telephone and online sales, kiosks and advertising. Consumers can still invite salespeople to their homes.

Consumer protection

Alberta’s Consumer Protection Act protects consumers from unfair business practices before, during or after a consumer transaction.

The government has received well over 1,000 consumer complaints about energy contracts for:

• deliberate misrepresentations
• selling unnecessary products they don’t really need
• energy contracts not being cancelled upon request
• high-pressure tactics

If you have concerns about door-to-door sales, call our consumer protection line at 1-877-427-4088 or file a complaint online.

To learn more about your household energy choices, the Utilities Consumer Advocate has resources and tips on buying household energy products, comparing energy rates, understanding utility bills, and much more.

Tip Sheet: Door-to-door sales of energy related products and services