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Utilities Request Shift in Natural Gas Costs

Rates for residential users of natural gas would increase under a proposal being considered by the California Public Utilities Commission. The PUC holds a hearing tonight in San Diego on the proposal.

Utilities Request Shift in Natural Gas Costs

Rates for residential users of natural gas would increase under a proposal being considered by the  California Public Utilities Commission . The PUC holds a hearing tonight in San Diego on the proposal. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has more.

SDG&E, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric have asked the PUC to shift more of the costs of paying for certain programs to residential ratepayers.

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Those programs include CARE - which provides a utility discount to low-income families - and energy efficiency programs that reduce the need for more power plants.

Mark Toney is with the Utility Reform Network or TURN.

Toney: What they want to do is make is so that residential customers pay a greater proportion of the shared costs and reduce what companies like Exxon Mobile or Chevron are paying for these costs.

Those costs are now shared equally by all users based on how much natural gas they use.

Toney says if the request is approved, it would add $1.25 or more to monthly natural gas bills for residential users.

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Ed Joyce, KPBS News.