Alberta has extended the deadline to apply for its $100 energy rebate by one month, giving eligible residents until Oct. 31 to submit applications online. The program had been set to close Sept. 30, but fewer than half of the nearly 3.4 million eligible Albertans had signed up, according to figures in a provincial news release Wednesday.

About 1.45 million people had applied, an uptake of roughly 43 per cent. That was an increase of about 250,000 applications since mid-August. Finance Minister Jason Nixon said in a statement: “By extending the deadline, we are giving more families the time they need to apply and receive real relief,”

The rebate was announced June 17, and its application portal opened July 1. Applicants must be Alberta residents, at least 18 years old as of July 1, 2026, have filed a 2025 tax return and have household income of $225,000 or less. The current $100 payment is not taxable and does not need to be reported to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

The province introduced the rebate in place of a fuel-tax relief program that had provided graduated savings at the pump depending on international oil prices. Four months ago, Premier Danielle Smith said a rebate was chosen because tax cuts might not be passed on to consumers. Nixon also criticized the former approach, saying he had spent “an entire summer” overseeing investigations to confirm that savings reached drivers. He later said the government was left “hoping savings are passed on.”

The government is now reversing course. Smith announced last week that Alberta would reinstate fuel-tax relief starting Oct. 1, suspending the full 13-cent-per-litre provincial tax on gasoline and diesel for three months, through the end of the year. She told a Calgary business crowd, “Every fill-up will cost Alberta families and businesses less,” while acknowledging that “calls are going to come in” about whether the tax cut had reduced prices at the pumps. Smith also said Albertans were unhappy with the rebate program.

A confidential government briefing note, details of which Postmedia published last month, warned Smith and Nixon that future rebate payments could face tax concerns. It said subsequent payments could not be guaranteed because larger or more frequent payouts could be classified by the CRA as reportable or taxable income.

In response to a Postmedia query, the CRA said the tax treatment of any future rebate would depend on the program’s specific design and on the interpretation and application of the federal Income Tax Act. The briefing note said rebate income could be considered reportable if payments exceeded $500 per year and were made every three months rather than once.

Nixon’s office told Postmedia that future rebates had not been ruled out and that it believed payments could be arranged to remain tax-free. The current $100 rebate remains non-taxable and does not need to be reported. The extended deadline gives eligible Albertans until Oct. 31 to apply for that payment.

Based on reporting by Edmonton Journal and Global News Edmonton.