Natural gas rates rising this winter

More than 1.2 million natural gas customers in Washington will pay more for fuel beginning Saturday as a result of higher wholesale natural gas costs and colder than average temperatures last winter. The state Utilities and Transportation Commission approved the increases today for the state’s four natural gas utility companies, including Avista Utilites. Typical residential customers, using 65 therms of natural gas per month, will see their monthly Avista bills rise by 1.1 percent to $61.84. Natural gas companies submit filings to the state every year for rate adjustments, based on wholesale price flucuations. The utilities distribute natural gas to customers but don’t produce their own fuel. About half of Washington’s natural gas supplies come from the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia and the other half from the western U.S., including Wyoming.