Rural here too and all those extra charges are almost 2/3 of the total bill. Twice as much as what's charged in the larger cities like Edmonton.
I'm wishing we'd invested in solar panels 20 years ago when we bought the place but now is too late. We will likely only be here another 3-5 years due to age and health issues or they will go ahead with plans to twin the highway we live on and buy us out.
I just started growing autos outside 3 years ago and this crop is all seeded from a hemp field less than 5 miles away from us. Was wondering why they were noticeably smaller and seemed a lot less frosty than last year's plants of the same strain. Now it's going to have to be indoors and make sure I have nothing flowering during the spring and summer as that pollen will get in and find them for sure.
As a low income senior I don't have the coin to hepa filter the whole house.