Oregon PUC approves rate adjustments for Cascade Natural Gas and Avista Utilities
By Joe Hathaway on Friday, October 27th, 2023 in Featured Stories More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
NORTHEAST OREGON — Eastern Oregonians who use gas in their homes will have to reach into their wallets this winter.
The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) has given the green light for rate adjustments for customers of Cascade Natural Gas and Avista Utilities. The changes are in response to the annual adjustment for natural gas costs, known as the purchased gas adjustment (PGA).
Cascade Natural Gas:
Effective November 1, 2023, Cascade Natural Gas customers will experience an overall revenue increase of nearly $4 million, or approximately 4.0 percent. This adjustment is primarily due to under-forecasting natural gas supply costs last year, resulting in the under-collection of revenues. Residential, commercial, and industrial customers will see varying increases in their monthly bills.
Residential Customers: A typical customer’s bill will increase by $2.56 or 3.22 percent.
Commercial Customers: A typical customer’s bill will increase by $12.73 or 4.3 percent.
Industrial Customers: A typical customer’s bill will increase by $107.40 or 6.1 percent.
Cascade Natural Gas, which services Baker and Malheur counties, encourages customers to explore options to mitigate the impact of the rate increase, including weatherization.
Avista Utilities:
For Avista Utilities, which services areas of Union County and La Grande, the PUC finalized adjustments stemming from decisions in two proceedings – the annual adjustment for natural gas costs and a general rate case filing.
Residential, commercial, and industrial customers will experience both decreases and increases in their monthly bills.
Residential Customers: A typical residential customer’s bill will decrease by $10.83 or 14.1 percent starting November 1, 2023. However, it will then increase by $3.92 or 5.9 percent starting January 1, 2024.
Commercial Customers: A typical commercial customer’s bill will decrease by $45.05 or 15.6 percent starting November 1, 2023, and then increase by $16.75 or 6.9 percent starting January 1, 2024.
Industrial Customers: A typical industrial customer’s bill will decrease by $940.54 or 28.8 percent starting November 1, 2023, and then increase by $4.39 or 0.2 percent starting January 1, 2024.
The rate changes are driven by various factors, including natural gas supply costs, capital investments, inflation, interest rates, supply chain disruptions, and labor costs.
Customers are encouraged to explore energy efficiency incentives and assistance programs to manage their bills effectively.
For more information and assistance, customers can contact Cascade Natural Gas at 888-522-1130 and Avista Utilities at 800-227-9187 or visit the respective utility websites.
