July 24, 2011 in Idaho

Idaho decision on Avista hike not imminent

By The Spokesman-Review
 
Tags:AvistaAvista Utilitiesidaho public utilities commissionutilities
On the Web
More information on Avista’s current rate cases are available at www.puc.idaho.gov. Click on the electric icon under “open cases” and scroll to AVU-E-11-01. Click on the gas icon and scroll to AVU-G-1101.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission will take up to six months to consider Avista Utilities’ request for higher electric and natural gas rates, officials announced last week.

Avista had hoped for a decision by Aug. 5, but the three-member commission said it needed more time for its staff of auditors, engineers and attorneys to thoroughly review the company’s rate request.

Avista is seeking a 3.7 percent rate hike for its electric customers and 2.7 percent rate hike for natural gas customers. If granted, a typical household’s monthly electric bill would jump from $83.81 to $86.87. Monthly gas bills would go up from $60.76 to $62.91. Both bills include a 50-cent increase in customer service charges.

As proposed, the rate increase would add $10.9 million to Avista’s annual revenues. In the application, company officials said the additional revenue would be used to upgrade and replace aging equipment. A public hearing schedule will be announced at a later date.

Spokane-based Avista serves about 125,000 electric customers and 74,200 natural gas customers in Idaho.

Gene Fadness, a PUC spokesman, said Avista customers should be aware that their rates will increase on Oct. 1 through a separate action. Last year, the PUC approved a 9.25 percent hike in electric rates and a 1.9 percent natural gas hike, but spread the increases out over three years to soften the impact on customers.

As part of that phase-in, electric rates will increase by 3.9 percent in October and gas rates by 0.72 percent.

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Four comments on this story so far. Add yours!

  • D Statler on July 24 at 7:21 a.m.

    So what Mr. Fadness is saying is that AVISTA is requesting increase on top of increase.Not increase after increase! AVISTA will keep requesting these as long as the PUC and UTC are handing them out like candy.Maybe we should increase taxes on their corporation to recover our losses.

  • D Statler on July 24 at 7:32 a.m.

    Better get another full page ad in the Review and Inlander. Painting these increases over with a big wide brush might make you feel better.It does nothing for the pain in our wallets. It is good to see our utility monies spent so wisely. Thanks AVISTA for wratcheting down our local economy with your constant and relentless requests for more money.Your the GREATEST!!

  • force_vector on July 24 at 9:46 a.m.

    “As proposed, the rate increase would add $10.9 million to Avista’s annual revenues. In the application, company officials said the additional revenue would be used to upgrade and replace aging equipment.”

    Oh yeah? Why don’t you upgrade and replace the aging equipment FIRST, then come talk to us. And then, at that time, we can work out an arrangement for repayment. However, a blanket, open-ended increase in rates should be out of the question. If AVISTA, after all the approved rate increases to-date still has $10.9 million dollars worth of aging equipment, then they are clearly not being very responsible with their (our) money.

  • mrd on July 24 at 10:22 a.m.

    AVISTA needs the increases so they can have the money to pay bloated compensation packages to their employees.

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