The City of Guelph, Ontario, will begin issuing bills for water, wastewater, and stormwater services directly to property owners starting in the summer of 2026. This transition will change how customers pay for their utilities by splitting the current combined bill into two separate invoices.
Currently, Guelph customers receive their water charges as a line item on an electricity bill issued by Alectra Utilities. Under the new plan, Alectra will only bill for electricity, while the city will manage its own billing for all water-related services. Notably, the city is shifting to a model where property owners are billed directly, phasing out the previous system where some tenants held their own water accounts.
The Guelph City Council approved the move in 2024 to gain more control over utility management after Alectra indicated it would no longer provide the service. The city estimates it will spend $3.5 million in one-time costs to implement the transition and set up the internal billing function.
Once the system is operational, annual operational costs are expected to increase by $700,000 compared to the current arrangement. The city is making the change to streamline service delivery and move toward independent municipal utility management.
