Northwest Natural seeks nearly 20% gas rate hike in Southwest Washington

VANCOUVER, Wash. (KATU) — Northwest Natural, Southwest Washington’s gas utility company, is proposing a rate hike on customers by nearly 20%.

Washington’s Attorney General, Nick Brown, has been vocal about his disagreement with this increase and is calling on regulators with the Utilities & Transportation Commission (UTC) to reject the hike.

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If the UTC does approve the increase, it will begin August of this year. Rates would go up by 19%, or on average $12.96 a month per household. Rates would continue to increase in 2027 by another 5.1% and then again in 2028 by 5.9%. This would make the average household bill roughly $22.22 a month. This would equate to approximately $268 a year.

“The costs of living are out of control, and the last thing Washingtonians need are unjustified hikes to their utility bills,” Brown said in a statement about his opposition. “Utility companies provide critical services, but the push for profits should not [be] forced onto the backs of captive consumers.”

According to a spokesperson for Northwest Natural, “The average NW Natural residential customer bill, over a year, is about the same as it was 20 years ago.”

In a statement to KATU, the gas utility company said, “Raising rates is not a decision that we take lightly, especially since we know our Washington customers have recently felt rate impacts from the state’s Climate Commitment Act. But we cannot ignore the costs that come with our obligation to safely manage our system. And so even though this rate case was a difficult decision to make, it’s a necessary one and we’ll continue to do our very best to provide the value and service our customers depend on.”

On Thursday, April 30, the UTC will hold a virtual public comment hearing for the community for the public to give their feedback on the proposed rate plan. You can find information about it here.