The main service providers for utilities in BC are listed below:
Hydro (electricity): www.bchydro.com
Gas (referred to as Natural Gas – otherwise they think you mean petrol for your car which they also call gas): www.terasen.com
Propane Gas tank: Search yellow pages or your local phone directory for a provider in your area
Telephone/ TV / Internet: the main providers are www.bell.ca www.shaw.ca www.telus.ca
Water / Garbage (Rubbish/Waste) / Sewage: if you are on municipal water, garbage and sewage disposal then you will receive an annual bill from your local municipality for these services. In some places properties have septic tanks and well water. You should enquire with the current home owner or your realtor to confirm who provides service in your area.
Some properties in BC are now being built with geothermal heating and cooling and remote areas use other sustainable power sources such as wind and solar. If you are building your own home you may want to investigate these greener alternatives and government incentives to improve the "green" rating of homes.
If you are new to Canada and do not have a credit rating then you might be required to pay a security deposit when settin up your utilities. It will be held for the first year or until you have established a good credit history at which point the deposit is refunded. With new properties where consumption history has not been established you will have to pay for your utilities as you use them and will therefore receive fluctuating bills. However, once a usage pattern is available for review, many providers will allow you to change over to regular monthly billing plans based on the average consumption throughout the previous year.