HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) voted Thursday to investigate a rate increase request filed by Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, which provides natural gas distribution services to approximately 440,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in portions of 26 counties across western and south-central Pennsylvania.
The commission voted 3-0 to investigate the request, which was filed on March 18, 2022.
The changes proposed by Columbia would produce an overall revenue increase of approximately $82.2 million per year. Under the proposal, the total monthly bill for a residential customer who purchases 70 therms of gas would increase from $123.24 to $135.67 (10.09%). Additionally, Columbia proposes an increase in the monthly residential customer charge from $16.75 to $24.75.
For Columbia’s commercial customers, the total monthly bill for a small commercial customer using 150 therms of gas would increase from $205.73 to $223.51 (8.64%). Rates for a small industrial customer using 1,316 therms of gas would increase from $1,476.21 to $1,586.33 per month (7.46%).
Thursday’s action by the commission suspends the rate increase request for up to seven months and the case will now be assigned to the PUC’s Office of Administrative Law Judge for an investigation and recommended decision.
More information on the ratemaking process is available on the Commission’s website.
A final decision by the commission on this rate increase request is due by Dec. 17, 2022.
