Avista Corp. adjusts customer utility rates

Avista Corp. customers will see changes to their utility bills beginning this month.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved several filings from Avista last week that will result in a 3.83% decrease in electric rates and a 2.6% increase in natural gas rates, effective Aug. 1.

A typical residential electric customer using 914 kilowatts per month can expect to see a decrease of $3.26 for a monthly bill of $81.07.

The typical residential natural gas customer using 67 therms per month will see an increase of $1.08 for a monthly bill of $58.96.

The changes are primarily the result of lower than expected costs for Avista’s conservation programs and the difference between the Spokane-based utility’s authorized and actual revenues, which were influenced by warmer than normal winter temperatures and the pandemic, according to a UTC news release. 

In Eastern Washington, Avista serves more than 250,000 electric customers and nearly 164,000 natural gas customers .