More than 20 years after all Alberta residents got $400 from the province in what was dubbed “Ralph Bucks,” some residents will receive a new payment — but it’s less money and fewer people are eligible.
On Wednesday, Premier Danielle Smith announced a new $100 energy rebate on to help adults with the high cost of living.
The province announced the rebate in lieu of lifting the provincial fuel tax, which is 13 cents per litre for regular gasoline and four cents per litre for marked gasoline and marked diesel.
The province said the average Albertan consumes 2,000 litres of fuel each year, representing fuel tax relief savings of only about $65 per person for one quarter.
Beginning July 1, the province said nearly 3.4 million Albertans will be eligible to receive $100 through the Alberta Energy Rebate, which the province said will dole out tax dollars collected over recent months of elevated fuel prices back to Albertans.
Alberta residents who are 18 or older, have filed a 2025 tax return and have a household income of $225,000 or less, will be eligible to apply for the tax-free energy rebate through a secure online portal starting on July 1.
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The province said a household is defined as a single person or two people who are married or in a common-law relationship.
Eligible two-adult households will receive $200. Families may also benefit from additional $100 rebates with each eligible adult family member or child aged 18 or older living in the same home.
Albertans 18 and over living at the same address, but who are not married or common law, would be considered separate households.
This includes:
- roommates
- children over the age of 18
- other adult family members living in the same home
Each adult will need to apply separately to receive a payment.
Those receiving the Alberta Seniors Benefit and individuals enrolled in Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH), the Alberta Disability Assistance Program (ADAP) and Income Support will be automatically enrolled to receive their payment.
The Alberta Energy Rebate application portal opens on July 1 and closes Sept. 30.
The announcement evokes memories of the 2006 Alberta government prosperity bonus: a a one-time $400 payment paid out to almost three million Alberta residents in 2006, including children, due to a large oil-fuelled provincial budget surplus.
Dubbed “Ralph Bucks” after the premier of the time, Ralph Klein, all Albertans who were residents of the province as of September 1, 2005, and filed a 2004 tax return with the Canada Revenue Agency received the bonus. Cheques for people under the age of 18 went to their parents or primary caregiver, leaving those adults to determine how the child’s share was used.
The new energy rebate comes after the U.S.-Iran military conflict choked global energy supply chains and sent prices at the gas pump soaring, which in turn boosted the bottom line for Alberta’s petro-powered economy.
Alberta’s budget could use some good news.
The Middle East war began in late February, two days after Smith’s government announced this year’s budget will have a $9.4-billion deficit due mainly to low oil prices.
The Opposition NDP has called on Smith to drop the provincial tax on fuel so Albertans can pay less at the pump and have more money for food and rent.
But Smith’s United Conservatives have said they would stick with their formula that ties gas tax cuts to oil prices on a sliding scale.
— More to come…
With files from The Canadian Press
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