Hamilton Utility Costs: Alectra Hydro, Enbridge Gas and the City Water Bill
Quick answer
Hamilton condo and apartment renters typically pay $160–$215 a month for hydro and internet. Renting a house where you cover everything costs about $360–$485, rising to $420–$545 in January.
| Utility | Condo / apartment | House |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro (Alectra) | $68–$87 | $119–$158 |
| Gas heat (Enbridge) | Usually included | $43 summer, ~$88 avg, ~$152 January |
| Water + wastewater (City) | Usually included | $61–$112 |
| Internet | $90–$125 | $90–$125 |
| Total per month | $160–$215 | $360–$485 ($420–$545 Jan) |
A lot of Hamilton's rental stock is older brick houses in the lower city that have been split into two or three units. That's where most of the utility confusion comes from. There's often one water meter and sometimes one gas meter for the whole building, so how the bill gets divided matters as much as the rates. And as of April 2026, the water bill comes from a different place than it used to.
Water: the 10-cubic-metre jump
Water and wastewater billing in Hamilton moved from Alectra Utilities to the City of Hamilton starting in April 2026. The rates themselves are set in the City's 2026 user fee by-law. For a home with a meter under 25 mm:
- Fixed charges: $0.56 a day for water and $0.63 a day for wastewater/storm, about $36 a month.
- First 10 m³ each month: $1.21 per m³ for water and $1.31 for wastewater, $2.52 together.
- Over 10 m³: $2.42 and $2.61, $5.03 together, exactly double.
For a couple using 8 m³ a month, the bill is about $56. At 10 m³ it's about $61. At 15 m³ it's $87, and 20 m³ comes to about $112. That second block is why a house split into three units on one meter can produce a water bill that looks out of proportion. Every unit's usage is pushed into the expensive block together.
Alectra hydro
Hamilton is in Alectra Utilities' Horizon rate zone. The electricity itself is priced by the Ontario Energy Board, the same as everywhere in Ontario. These are the prices from November 1, 2026:
- Time-of-use: 9.1¢ off-peak, 14.6¢ mid-peak, 18.9¢ on-peak.
- Tiered: 11.2¢ per kWh up to 1,000 kWh a month in winter (600 in summer), then 13.2¢.
- Ultra-low overnight: 3.7¢ from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Alectra's delivery charge is mostly a fixed monthly amount, roughly in the $30–$35 range for Horizon customers. The OEB-approved 2026 change added $1.53 a month for a typical 750 kWh home. After the Ontario Electricity Rebate (15.7% from November 1, 2026, down from 23.5%) and HST, a one-bedroom using 300 to 450 kWh pays roughly $68–$87, and a gas-heated house using 700 to 1,000 kWh pays about $119–$158.
Enbridge gas: the cheaper Ontario zone
Hamilton was Union Gas territory before the merger, so it's in Enbridge's Union South rate zone. That zone's typical residential customer (2,200 m³ a year) paid about $905 a year at April 2026 rates. A small October 2026 change added about $6.64, plus a one-time charge of roughly $14.68 split over the October to December bills.
With a $28.91 monthly customer charge and HST, a typical detached house works out to:
- Summer: about $43.
- Average month: about $88.
- January: about $152.
Hamilton winters are milder than Ottawa's, and with the lower-priced rate zone, the same-sized house usually heats for less here than in Ottawa or Toronto.
Internet
Bell, Cogeco and Rogers each serve parts of Hamilton. Bell's Ontario 500 Mbps plan was advertised at about $90 a month on a two-year promotion in 2026, with regular prices in the $100–$120 range. Check Cogeco's current offer at your address and compare after-promotion prices.
Shared-meter houses: how the split works
In converted houses, landlords handle shared utilities in a few ways: they include everything in rent, they split the bill by percentage, or they put each unit on its own meter. A percentage split is legal if it's agreed in writing, but it's worth checking the numbers. A ground-floor unit with three people and a laundry room uses far more water than a one-person attic unit.
- Get the percentage in writing, in the lease, not in a text message.
- Ask for the last 12 months of bills for the shared meters.
- Ask where the laundry is and whose hot water tank feeds it.
Checklist for touring a Hamilton rental
- Meters: Does my unit have its own hydro meter? Gas meter? Water meter?
- Heat: Gas furnace, boiler with radiators, or electric baseboards on my meter?
- Water account: Since April 2026 the City bills water. Who holds that account?
- Hot water tank: Is it rented? Rental fees often appear on the gas bill.
- Air conditioning: Window units or central? Summer on the Mountain can be humid and hot.
- Winter bills: Can I see last January's Enbridge and Alectra bills?
Ontario lease rules: Most Hamilton tenancies must use Ontario's standard lease, which has a Services and Utilities section listing who pays for electricity, heat and water. Landlords can only take a rent deposit of up to one month's rent (plus a refundable key deposit). Damage deposits aren't permitted in Ontario.
Hamilton utilities: common questions
Who sends the water bill in Hamilton now?
The City of Hamilton. Water and wastewater billing moved from Alectra Utilities to the City starting in April 2026. Rates and service didn't change because of the move, but the bill now comes from a different sender.
Why did my Hamilton water bill jump when we had guests?
Hamilton charges a lower rate for the first 10 m³ each month and double after that. Water plus wastewater is $2.52 per m³ up to 10 m³ and $5.03 per m³ beyond it, so a busy month costs more than you'd expect.
Who is the hydro company in Hamilton?
Alectra Utilities. Hamilton is in Alectra's Horizon rate zone. Electricity prices are set provincially by the Ontario Energy Board, and Alectra adds its own delivery charges.
Is Hamilton cheaper than Toronto for utilities?
For houses, slightly, mostly because Hamilton is in Enbridge's Union South gas zone, where a typical year of gas costs less than in the former Enbridge Gas Distribution zone that covers Toronto and Ottawa. Condo renters pay similar amounts in both cities.
Related guides
Our Hamilton rental guide covers neighbourhoods and prices. For a nearby comparison, see Toronto utility costs for renters. Our landlord vs tenant utilities guide explains how responsibility is usually split.
Sources and how we estimated
- Water and wastewater: City of Hamilton 2026 rates by-law (25-232); billing change: City of Hamilton news release.
- Electricity prices and the 15.7% rebate: Ontario Energy Board announcement, October 16, 2026 (prices from Nov 1, 2026); Alectra 2026 change: OEB Decision and Rate Order EB-2025-0055.
- Gas: OEB Enbridge rate notice, April 2026, and the October 2026 backgrounder.
- Internet: Bell Ontario pricing compiled by Topicks, 2026.
- Alectra's Horizon fixed charge is an estimate based on its published tariffs and OEB-approved increases since. Bills include the 15.7% rebate in effect from November 1, 2026 and 13% HST at the usage levels shown.
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