Northwest Natural Gas Company has filed a proposed rate change with the Washington state Utilities and Transportation Commission. The rate proposal includes a 6 percent residential increase, which means the average homeowner would pay about $3.65 more per month. The average business customer would see an increase of about 6.4 percent, or $16.14 per month.
The proposed rate increase stems from a rise in gas costs prompted by “this past winter’s extreme cold weather, especially in the eastern half of the country, which caused temporary price spikes, low gas storage levels and higher prices to refill storage,” Randy Friedman, Northwest Natural’s director of gas supply, said in a news release. Customers are still paying less than they paid for gas 10 years ago, Friedman said. Because of an abundant supply of domestic and Canadian natural gas, prices are expected to remain relatively stable for the next few years, he said.
The state Utilities and Transportation Commission is expected to decide on the proposed rate increase in late October. New rates would take effect on Nov. 1. Portland-based Northwest Natural provides natural gas service to an estimated 697,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Oregon and Southwest Washington. That includes 74,000 customers in Clark, Klickitat and Skamania counties.
