Photo by Unsplash

Peoples Natural Gas filed a request Dec. 29 with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to increase its base rate for customers who receive service from the Peoples Natural Gas Division or Peoples Gas Division.

If the PUC approves the company’s entire request, a residential customer of the Peoples Natural Gas Division who uses 80 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) annually would see a rate adjustment of $15.63 per month. A Peoples Gas Division residential customer using 80 Mcf annually would see a rate adjustment of $6.35 per month.

A Dec. 29 news release from Peoples said the increase would support the company’s “Long-Term Infrastructure Improvement Plan,” and other operations and sustainability initiatives.

Butler County has about 37,500 Peoples customers, and nearly 900 of them — about 2% — are using a third party gas supplier rather than Peoples.

The company’s base rate request is its first increase since 2019, and also provides for the recovery of Peoples’ ongoing business costs. The PUC’s rate review process can take up to nine months, which means customers can expect any approved increases to take effect at the end of September, 2024, the news release said.

Michael Huwar, Peoples president, said the company has replaced more than 1,000 miles of pipelines to create safer and more reliable gas delivery systems. The project also will modernize the system, cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions, according to the news release.

The process to modify base rates involves multiple opportunities for public participation. Customers with questions about the proposed rates can visit Peoples-Gas.com/rates or call 1-800-764-0111 for more information.