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PGW customers will see their gas bills go up at the end of this month.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved a rate increase for the utility last week that will raise the company’s annual distribution rate revenue by more than $26 million, or around 3%, effective November 29. The increase is less than a third of what the utility originally sought.
“PGW takes our obligation to our customers seriously and we are disappointed in the limited rate relief granted by the Commission,” said PGW chief of staff Melanie McCottry in an emailed statement. “It is the view of PGW that the Commission’s decision will hinder PGW’s ability to sufficiently meet the current needs of our customers while also adding an additional financial burden to them.”
PGW is owned by the city of Philadelphia and serves more than half a million customers. In February, the utility requested a rate increase that would have resulted in an additional $85 million in revenue each year, raising the average resident’s monthly bill by around $12.
PGW has not yet calculated the impact of the smaller rate increase on residential bills, McCottry said Friday.