BGE customers to see rate increase Saturday

[boink]

Great job PSC.

Is the $2.70 per month charge for BGE's natural gas on top of the $2/month surcharge for natural gas companies already approved by the MD General Assembly?
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http://articles.baltimoresun.com/201...rate-increases

BGE customers to see rate increase

$3.33 extra a month for average residential electric customer, $2.70 extra for natural gas

February 22, 2013|By Jamie Smith Hopkins, The Baltimore Sun

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. customers will be paying higher rates this year, with the average bills rising by several dollars a month, to cover the cost of upgrading the utility's infrastructure.

Maryland's Public Service Commission, which regulates the company, said Friday it approved an increase to distribution rates that will cost the average residential electricity customer an additional $3.33 a month and the average residential gas customer an extra $2.70 a month. The utility had sought larger rate increases.

The commission shaved 35 percent off the utility's request, which also included higher commercial rates. BGE will receive about $113 million annually from the rate increase, money that is largely for gas mains, poles and other infrastructure and projects related to safety and reliability — such as tree trimming around electrical wires.

The new charges go into effect Saturday....


http://thedailyrecord.com/2013/02/07...urcharge-bill/

General Assembly approves natural gas surcharge bill

Posted: 11:56 am Thu, February 7, 2013
By Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS — Natural gas companies would be able to seek a surcharge of up to $2 on monthly gas bills to help recover costs for replacing aging infrastructure, in a measure approved by state lawmakers Thursday.

The Senate voted 35-12 after spirited debate. The House of Delegates’ vote was 120-17. The measures are similar and any differences will need to be worked out for the legislation to go to Gov. Martin O’Malley.

Lawmakers who supported the bill said companies need the cash to help replace aging pipes and address safety concerns. Supporters also say the surcharge would have to be approved by the Public Service Commission, and the money wouldn’t be charged until work was done to improve infrastructure....

[slapshot]

My complaint is - they just increased rates in 2011.

I sure hope we're not headed into a period that rates go up every few years?

[Sprightly]

I thought that I read today that the electric rate is going up as well.

[demopublican]

This can't be true. We elected O'Malley to stop these.

[slapshot]

Both electric and gas go up on Monday. I think it's Monday?

Will add (combined) about $7/month to the average bill.

[bmorepunk]

This can't be true. We elected O'Malley to stop these.

I'm not a fan of the O'Malley "stop the rate hikes" ridiculousness, but if since this is a distribution increase and not a supply increase related to deregulation consequences they're different things.

If BGE properly applies this money to infrastructure, the things that cause outages won't be noticed because the supply of electric and gas will not be interrupted. People only notice when it goes out. We certainly don't want BGE to end up like Pepco and let the infrastructure degrade to the point where they let theirs go.

[slapshot]

A BG&E spokesman indicated last night, since this amount is far short of what they asked for, "more rate increases will be needed in the future"

So, put on an extra sweater folks....

[boink]

BGE will request an additional natural gas surcharge based on the $2/month surcharge bill expected to be passed by the MGA.

-------------------
"Both chambers of Maryland's General Assembly passed bills this month that would make it easier for utilities to get surcharges — up to $2 a month on gas customers' bills — for accelerating replacement of aging pipelines. If the measure is finalized as expected, BGE said it will request such a surcharge."

[overtaxed]

Now if I understand correctly BGE just supplies the distribution system. So they should have been maintaining that all along. Now they claim they need more money to do what they they were supposed to be doing all along. This along with the bs about "smart meters". The main reason they want smart meters is so they don't have to pay meter readers anymore. That will save them a lot and we get to pay them extra for that also.

[dialtone]

Great job PSC.

Is the $2.70 per month charge for BGE's natural gas on top of the $2/month surcharge for natural gas companies already approved by the MD General Assembly?
-----------------------------
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/201...rate-increases

BGE customers to see rate increase

$3.33 extra a month for average residential electric customer, $2.70 extra for natural gas

February 22, 2013|By Jamie Smith Hopkins, The Baltimore Sun

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. customers will be paying higher rates this year, with the average bills rising by several dollars a month, to cover the cost of upgrading the utility's infrastructure.

Maryland's Public Service Commission, which regulates the company, said Friday it approved an increase to distribution rates that will cost the average residential electricity customer an additional $3.33 a month and the average residential gas customer an extra $2.70 a month. The utility had sought larger rate increases.

The commission shaved 35 percent off the utility's request, which also included higher commercial rates. BGE will receive about $113 million annually from the rate increase, money that is largely for gas mains, poles and other infrastructure and projects related to safety and reliability — such as tree trimming around electrical wires.

The new charges go into effect Saturday....


http://thedailyrecord.com/2013/02/07...urcharge-bill/

General Assembly approves natural gas surcharge bill

Posted: 11:56 am Thu, February 7, 2013
By Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS — Natural gas companies would be able to seek a surcharge of up to $2 on monthly gas bills to help recover costs for replacing aging infrastructure, in a measure approved by state lawmakers Thursday.

The Senate voted 35-12 after spirited debate. The House of Delegates’ vote was 120-17. The measures are similar and any differences will need to be worked out for the legislation to go to Gov. Martin O’Malley.

Lawmakers who supported the bill said companies need the cash to help replace aging pipes and address safety concerns. Supporters also say the surcharge would have to be approved by the Public Service Commission, and the money wouldn’t be charged until work was done to improve infrastructure....

Damn shame

[sigmalady]

I'm sick of BGE, O'Malley and the PSC.

[ybnormal]

PSC: Hand-picked by OWE'Malley himself
OWE'Malley: Hand-picked by the voters themselves

Question: Will the rate hike effect all those on the "Energy Assistance" program?


Next up: sales tax increase on every gallon of gasoline

Thanks Marty-landers.