PSE energy rates to rise

State regulators allow Puget Sound Energy to increase rates for gas and electricity beginning May 14

Electricity bills for Puget Sound Energy (PSE) residential customers will increase by 3.2 percent while natural gas bills will rise by 1.3 percent as a result of action taken by state regulators today. New rates go into effect Monday.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) is allowing PSE to raise electric rates to collect an $63.3 million a year and $13.4 million for natural gas rates. However, that is substantially less than the $161 million and $32 million, respectively, the utility originally requested to collect last June.

The last PSE rate increase approved by the commission was two years ago.

The average PSE residential electric customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours-per-month will see their electric bill increase by $3.30. The typical natural gas customer using 68 therms a month would pay $1.08 more.

Beginning Jan. 1, PSE electric customers will receive an annual bill credit for their share of the proceeds and benefits from the utility’s sale of surplus Renewable Energy Credits. The average residential electric customer will receive a bill credit of about $8.28 a year.