Western New Yorkers may end up paying more to heat and cook with natural gas. As WBFO's Chris Caya reports National Fuel Gas has filed a rate increase request with state regulators.
The cost of heating with natural gas may be going up across the region. National Fuel Gas filed a rate increase request with the state's Public Service Commission on Thursday. National Fuel's spokesperson, Karen Merkel says, if approved it would be the first delivery rate increase in nearly ten years.
"And I'm not aware of any other utility bills that have not increased during that time. National Fuel's the only large utility in New York state that has not asked for a rate increase in recent years. And we have some of the lowest delivery rates of gas utilities in the state of New York," Merkel said.
The main driver behind the proposed increase, Merkel says, is the continued modernization of National Fuel's pipeline infrastructure. If the PSC agrees, the company expects the average customer will see their bills increase by $5.75 per month. The PSC's review process is expected to take about a year.