EDMONTON -- Albertans will notice an extra charge on their natural gas and electricity bills this fall. The fee is being charged because of electricity and gas bill payments that were deferred due to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Utility Payment Deferral Program. The program allowed customers who used less than 250,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year to defer their bills during the COVID-19 pandemic. Residential, farm, and small commercial customers who utilized the program had until June 18, 2021 to pay utility providers what they owed. In a media release sent Friday, Associate Minister of Natural Gas and Electricity Dale Nally revealed that while most customers settled their outstanding balances some have not.