WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — It's a day to learn more about a proposed natural gas rate hike request filed by UGI, and also a day for customers to sound off about how that rate hike, if approved, will impact them.
The average residential customer would see a hike of about 11% in their monthly bill.
The Public Utility Commission (PUC) held a public hearing at Wilkes-Barre City Hall.
UGI customers are really angry about this rate hike request, saying they are being taken advantage of.
PUC judges heard testimony about the UGI rate hike request, which, as you say, would mean a nearly 11% hike for residential customers: That's about $11 a month.
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UGI officials say the rate hike is needed to pay for the costs of system upgrades and maintain a safe and reliable system.
UGI says they are and have been replacing gas mains in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Many of those old lines were made with older materials that are deteriorating.
The rate hike would also mean an increase of about 7.5% for the average industrial customer and around 8.6% for commercial users.
The PUC heard from community leaders and residents who say if this rate hike is approved, it would have a big time financial impact on customers.
Here's a sampling of what residents are saying.
"People are lowering their temperatures of their homes to save money. They are eating less, relying on food stamps, etc," Wilkes-Barre resident Gail Malloy said.
"Now they're asking for a 10% increase in our rates s they could enrich themselves even more. I say an acceptable increase is 0% after their rate increases in 2022 and 2023 because this is consumer capitalism at its worst," said Brendan Regan from Scranton.
The PUC will make a final decision on the request in October.
