Lower rates for Cascade Natural Gas begin today

By Terry Murry on Friday, November 1st, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

SALEM – (News release from the Oregon PUC) The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently approved a decrease in rates for Cascade Natural Gas customers that goes into effect November 1, 2024.

The PUC approves adjustments annually to the rates of the three regulated natural gas companies, including Cascade Natural Gas, Avista Utilities, and NW Natural, to reflect changes in the actual cost of wholesale priced natural gas. This annual adjustment, known as the purchased gas adjustment (PGA), allows companies to pass through their actual cost of purchasing gas to customers without a markup on the price. The PGA combined with other rate-related filings also effective November 1 resulted in an overall decrease in customer rates.

This decrease is largely due to the lower than anticipated price of natural gas last year as compared with projections when rates were set, which that resulted in over-collection of revenues from customers last year. The over-collected funds are used to reduce collections from customers this year. Additionally, customers experienced a mild winter, which reduced the demand for natural gas services.

Below is the impact to each customer type as a result of the PGA and other rate-related filing decisions:

Residential Customers – The monthly bill of a typical customer using an average of 57 therms per month will decrease by $9.47 or 13.2 percent, from $72.07 to $62.59.
Commercial Customers – The monthly bill of a typical customer using an average of 256 therms per month will decrease by $46.54, or 16.9 percent, from $274.89 to $228.35.
Industrial Customers – The monthly bill of a typical customer using an average of 1,682 therms per month will decrease by $345.50, or 19.6 percent, from $1,764.53 to $1,419.03.

“Oregon’s purchased gas adjustment mechanism reflects that the cost of natural gas is driven largely by regional, national, and global factors outside the utility’s control, but it also creates incentives to keep utilities accountable for careful management within those market conditions,” said PUC Chair Megan Decker. “We are fortunate this year to see the stabilizing supply and demand of natural gas ease financial pressures on consumers.”

To increase energy efficiency and save on future bills, review Energy Trust of Oregon’s current incentives and opportunities, including income-qualified offers and learn more about low-cost and no-cost tips to reduce energy consumption. For information about bill payment assistance options, help with past due bills, available utility discount programs, weatherization, and the Budget Pay Program that equalizes bill payments across winter and summer months, contact Cascade Natural Gas at 888-522-1130 or view information online.

Customers may also contact their local Community Action agency to request information on what assistance programs they may be eligible for and how to enroll. Cascade Natural Gas serves more than 75,000 Oregon customers in the Bend region and parts of Northeast Oregon including Hermiston, Pendleton, and Baker City.