The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) Thursday voted 4-0 to consider a rate increase request by Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Inc.

According to Columbia Gas, one of the reasons for the increase is to support continued implementation of a program that began last year to annually replace 600,000 feet of aging underground pipes and distribution facilities. It also wants to upgrade its system using new technologies.

The request would increase the company’s annual revenues by $58.9 million, or 10.3%. Under the proposal, the monthly bill for an average residential customer using 7.2 Mcf would increase by about $10.99, to $113.94 from $102.95.

By law, any increase would be suspended for up to seven months from its proposed effective date. The PUC voted to open an investigation and assign it to a PUC administrative law judge for a recommended decision or settlement. PUC commissioners then would make a final decision by Oct. 28.

The increase would affect about 370,556 residential, 37,914 commercial and 327 industrial customers in Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Butler, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland and York counties.

More information is available from the PUC website at www.puc.state.pa.us. The Columbia Gas request is filed under Docket No. R-2008-2011621.

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