The Idaho Public Utilities Commission Wednesday said it will take comments through Oct. 24 on two natural gas rate adjustments proposed by Spokane, WA-based Avista Utilities. The net result of the two requests would be a 2% decrease in charges for its 65,000 customers in northern Idaho.

Last Friday, Avista revised its purchased gas cost adjustment (PGA) to reflect a lower weighted average cost of gas (WACOG) of 76.24 cents/therm, or a 3% reduction from the current 78.6 cents/therm WACOG. As recently as last Sept. 14, Avista had filed for a 3.2% increase in the PGA with a WACOG of 84.7 cents/therm.

One Avista filing with the Idaho PUC includes a request for a 3.4% reduction in the annual PGA, reflecting changes in the wholesale market price of natural gas. The PGA portion of monthly utility bills, which amounts to about half the bill, is adjusted up or down depending on wholesale gas market conditions.

A second Avista filing seeks a 1.4% increase in the energy efficiency tariff. Combined, the two adjustments result in about a 2% rate decrease, the PUC said. It would be effective Nov. 1.

“With the use of energy efficiency programs, Avista hopes to reduce the demand for natural gas by about 1 million therms annually,” said the PUC spokesperson. “This is four times the size of the goals originally established by the program.

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