State of Washington regulators late Wednesday announced that they unanimously approved a rate settlement with Portland, OR-based Northwest Natural Gas Corp. that includes an average 6.5% residential rate increase, effective July 1. The decision affects the gas utility’s 54,000 residential and business customers in the southwestern part of the state.

Northwest Natural reached a settlement agreement on the rate increase last month with commission staff, the Public Counsel division of the state attorney general’s office, Industrial Gas Users and the Citizens Utility Alliance.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission okayed the settlement that authorized $3.5 million in added revenue for the utility. Northwest had originally asked for a $7.9 million increase last November. Residential customers on average face about an added $2 on their monthly gas bills. Commercial customers face an average 6.8% rate hike, or $40 more each month.

©Copyright 2004 Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news report may not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in any form, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.