WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington residents may see a slight increase in energy bills this fall.
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) says it recently filed requests to make its annual change to natural gas rates.
Starting on Nov. 1, average natural gas rates will increase by 10.6%.
Residential customers will see an average increase of about 10.2% and commercial/industrial customers will see a roughly 11.3% increase.
The rate hikes are based on the purchased gas adjustment mechanism, or PGA, which lets utilities adjust their rates to reflect changes in the natural gas market. The PGA considers the projected average cost of natural gas supplies over the next year and the difference between the projected and actual costs in prior years to arrive at the rate increase.
PSE customers can find the rate change reflected on their monthly bill under “Gas Cost.”