Workshop to explain Avista adjustments
Staff from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission will be in Coeur d'Alene on Thursday to explain three Avista Utilities annual rate adjustments - two increases and one decrease - that are proposed to become effective Oct. 1.
The workshop begins at 7 p.m. at the Molstead Library at North Idaho College, 1000 W. Garden Ave.
The commission is also taking written comment on the proposed adjustments through Sept. 11.
None of the adjustments increase Avista earnings. Two are annual adjustments made every Oct. 1 to account for those portions of electric and gas rates that change every year due to factors like weather conditions and fuel prices.
When those factors cause prices to go lower than anticipated, customers get a one-year credit.
When those factors cause an increase in costs above what is already included in base rates, customers get a one-year surcharge.
The revenue collected from the electric and gas surcharges goes into a deferred account and can be used only to pay electric and gas supply expense not already included in customer rates. The account is audited by the commission.
Avista's annual natural gas cost adjustment results in a proposed 6.8 percent increase for residential and small commercial gas customers.
Avista's annual electric adjustment is a proposed .83 percent decrease to residential and small-commercial customers.
Avista also proposes a third adjustment, an increase to its energy efficiency rider by 1.2 percent.
A fourth adjustment, a reduction in the credit Avista customers get from the Bonneville Power Administration, would result in an increase of 1.1 percent. The reduction in the BPA credit is a federal "pass through" not subject to the Idaho Commission's approval or disapproval.
Overall, the three electric adjustments would increase electric rates by about 1.5 percent. However, customers should also be aware that the Oct. 1 adjustments also include a 3.1 base rate increase as part of the settlement of a base rate case that utility filed with the commission in August 2012.
The combined increase, including the rate case settlement already approved, would increase a residential bill from about $78.69 to $81.94 (4.1 percent) for a customer who uses the system average of 930 kilowatt-hours per month.
On the natural gas side, a residential customer who uses the average of 60 therms per month, would see an increase in the monthly bill from $55.37 to $59.48, or 7.4 percent.
For all customer classes combined, the average increase is 6.8 percent.
Comments are accepted via email by accessing www.puc.idaho.gov and clicking on "Case Comment or Question Form," under the "Consumers" heading.
Fill in the case number (AVU-E-13-05 for the energy efficiency rider; AVU-E-13-04 for the Power Cost Adjustment and AVU-G-13-01 for the Purchased Gas Cost Adjustment) and enter your comments. Comments can also be mailed to P.O. Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720-0074 or faxed to (208) 334-3762.
The commission's orders, along with other documents related to these cases, are available on the commission's website. Click on "Open Cases" under either the "Electric" or "Gas" headings and scroll down to the applicable case number.