PUC tempers Unitil rate hike request
The Maine Public Utilities Commission has approved a rate hike for natural gas customers of Unitil Corp., but at about two-thirds the amount the company requested.
The Portland Press Herald reported the rate hike affects 19,350 home customers and 9,400 businesses, mostly in the greater Portland and Lewiston-Auburn areas. Regulatory approval means the average home customer will see the total winter bill rise 7.5%, which is less than the 10.4% increase the company requested in late January.
The company told regulators that cold temperatures had unexpectedly driven up the price of its fuel, leaving it with an estimated $3.3 million in additional expenses this winter.
Regulators said that the rate hike would ultimately be reconciled with what the utility spends this heating season, and customers’ share of that cost could be reduced later through rate adjustments if the company spends less for fuel than expected this winter.
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