Avista Gets Nod For Gas Price Hike Source: The Columbian Publication date: 2000-09-01

SPOKANE (AP) Avista Utilities can raise natural gas rates by 29.3 percent after winning approval from Washington regulators. The increase was approved Wednesday and takes effect today.

It will boost the monthly bill of an average homeowner using 77 therms of gas by $10.95. Natural gas has doubled in price at the wholesale level in the past year.

Other Washington utilities also have received gas rate increases ranging from 16 percent to 27.5 percent. The rates adjust as wholesale natural gas prices rise and fall, so they do not increase or decrease company profits.

The Avista increase is the largest in Washington when measured by percent, but the utility's 119,000 gas customers in Washington will continue to pay the lowest rates in the state, Avista analyst Brian Hirschkorn said.

According to figures provided by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, an Avista customer will pay $642 for 1,000 therms of natural gas.

Customers of Puget Sound Energy pay $790, while those of Cascade Natural Gas pay $748.

Hirschkorn told the utilities commission that Avista has paid $12.5 million more for gas in the past eight months than the company was allowed to recover with existing rates.

Unlike other Washington utilities, Avista does not plan to ask the commission for another increase this year to recoup those expenses.

Publication date: 2000-09-01

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 01, 2000

Answers

Kind of on a roll here with the Natural gas stuff. Rate increases across the board. Also gasoline is up just about everywhere for Labor Day.

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 01, 2000.