We Energies proposed rate increase; customers can weigh in Monday - FOX 6 Milwaukee
We Energies proposed rate increase; customers can weigh in Monday
MILWAUKEE - Your energy rates could be going up for the second time in two years. We Energies proposed hikes for electrical and natural gas rates.
On Monday, Oct. 9 customers will have an opportunity to weigh in.
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, which will decide whether to approve the hike, is hosting two public hearings at the Clinton Rose Senior Center at 3045 N. Martin Luther King Dr. in Milwaukee.
The first at 2 p.m., the second at 6 p.m. You can also comment over Zoom.
We Energies says the rate changes are to cover new investments in infrastructure, including renewable energy. Citizens Utility Board (CUB) criticizes the rate hike request, saying profits for the utilities have been too high for too long, with customers paying the price.
Here’s how much more you might pay:
- The utility estimates for the typical home: electricity would cost roughly $4 more per month.
- Typical natural gas rates would go up $2 to $3 more a month.
While We Energies asks for approval to raise those rates, the utility company says heating bills this winter might actually be lower than last year because natural gas prices have been going down.
If you look at your heating bill, you’ll note you pay a natural gas rate for delivery, that is what is up for increase. On your bill, there's another charge for the actual natural gas, based on the fluctuating price of it.
Since the price of natural gas is down, We Energies estimates the overall bill might be lower, even with the delivery rate increase.
This would be the second rate increase in two years, the utility this January increased electric rates roughly 11%.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin will decide whether to approve the new rates. They’re expected to make a decision before this year wraps.
The new rates could be on your bill starting in January.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: energy efficiency
The energy price spikes of the 1970s drove consumers, businesses and government to calculate opportunities for energy efficiency — investments, practices, and regulations to avoid some of the energy costs associated with particular products or services. Those calculations ran counter to a lot of engrained practices, and the friction between business and government is a feature of energy and environment policy discussions. Now, energy efficiency decisions — whether involving building practices, appliance efficiency, or vehicle mileage and emissions standards — are a complex mix of government regulation and market behavior.