Electricity and natural gas customers in three Northeast and Central Pennsylvania counties will face higher bills starting Thursday.
The state Public Utility Commission voted Jan. 15 to approve rate-hike-request settlements for Wellsboro Electric Co., Valley Energy Inc. and Citizens’ Electric Co. of Lewisburg.
Each company sought higher rates April 30.
Wellsboro Electric, Tioga County
Wellsboro Electric wanted new rates that would have produced about $2.9 million more in revenues, or about 45.3%.
Residential customers using 700 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month would have seen their bills rise to $168.97 from $142.75, or 18.4%.
After months of investigating, the PUC approved rates to produce about $2.5 million in higher revenues, about 39.3%, with $1.8 million of that going into effect Thursday and the other $700,000 on Jan. 29, 2027.
After the second phase goes into effect, the same residential customers will pay about 18.3% higher rates, according to the settlement.
The PUC also approved an increase in the company’s fixed residential charge to $15 a month, up from $12, or 25%.
Wellsboro Electric’s rates last went up in May 2020.
The company serves about 6,500 customers in Wellsboro and Charleston, Delmar and Middlebury townships in Tioga County.
Valley Energy, Bradford County
Valley Energy, which supplies natural gas, sought higher rates to produce $1.6 million more in revenues, or 19%. That would have raised monthly bills for a customer who uses 7,600 cubic feet of gas to $78.84, up from $66.81, or 18%.
The PUC approved a $1.1 million hike. That means the same customer will pay $74.96, or 12.2% more.
This settlement also allows the company to raise its fixed residential charge to $13.80 a month, up from $12.35, or 11.7%.
Valley Energy’s rates last went up in February 2023.
The utility serves more than 7,400 customers in Bradford County, including Athens, Monroe, Sayre, South Waverly and Towanda boroughs and Asylum, Athens, Monroe, North Towanda, Towanda, Ulster and Wysox townships.
Citizens' Electric, Union County
Citizens' Electric asked for a rate hike that would have produced $1.79 million more in revenues, or 11%. The monthly bill for a residential customer using 1,250 kilowatt-hours would have risen to $181.51 from $163.89, or 10.8%.
The settlement allows the company $1.39 million in higher rates, or 8.5% more in revenues.
It means the same customer will pay $175.03 a month, or 6.8% more.
The fixed residential charge will also rise to $15 a month, up from $13.10, a 14.5% increase.
Citizens Electric serves almost 7,200 customers in Union County. They are in Lewisburg borough, Buffalo and East Buffalo townships and small parts of Kelly and West Buffalo townships.
