Avista credits would buffer request for Idaho surcharge

A couple of credits will help buffer Avista’s request for a surcharge on electric bills for Idaho customers.

The Spokane-based utility last week asked the Idaho’s Public Utilities Commission for aproval to add a $2.56 monthly surcharge on residential customers bills, beginning Oct. 1. The charge is based on an average of 910 kilowatt hours of electricity use per month.

Avista said the surcharge would help it recover the fixed costs of providing power to Idaho customers in 2016, when electricity sales dropped because of mild temperatures.

However, Avista announced increases in several credits Tuesday that would reduce the net surcharge to $1.73 per month. The credits, which are adjusted each fall, reflect changes in wholesale electricity costs and the Bonneville Power Administration’s residential exchange program, which spreads the benefits of the federal Columbia River hydrosystem to customers of investor-owned utilities.

If the Public Utilities Commission approves Avista’s request, the utility would collect an additional $2.8 million in revenues.