Avista asks for higher rates in Idaho

Avista Corp. is asking Idaho regulators for permission to charge more for electricity and natural gas. If the requests are approved by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, a residential customer using an average 956 kilowatt hours per month would see a $3.06 per month increase, or 3.7 percent, for a revised monthly bill of $86.87. A natural gas customer using an average of 62 therms per month would see a $2.15 increase, or 3.5 percent, for a revised monthly bill of $62.91. The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has seven months to review Avista’s request and make a decision. The requests would produce about $10.9 million in additional revenue for the Spokane-based utility. Avista officials said the utility needs the extra money to replace its aging electric infrastructure, ensure reliability of service and pay for increased natural gas operating costs. The company has a similar request pending before Washington regulators. Avista serves more than 122,000 electric customers and more than 74,000 natural gas customers in Idaho.