The filings include a 43% gas cost rate increase from Delmarva, and a 30% gas sales rate increase from Chesapeake Utilities.
Those metrics -gas cost rate and gas sales rate- only make up a portion of the typical customers bill, however. If approved as proposed, the average bill will see an increase of just over $11 per month for Delmarva and around $16.50 per month for Chesapeake.
But since these filings involve gas cost and gas sales rates, Delaware Public Advocate Jameson Tweedie says his office may have limited options to push back against the hikes.
“Our plan is to review them carefully, but the law is pretty clear: If these are indeed accurate costs that reflect the utility [company’s] costs, then then they are entitled to recover them. So, we have no particular ability to control it assuming the companies have accurately presented the information." he told DPM.
Tweedie says his office will examine these filings - and continue advocating for state policy on energy costs to help address what people pay on their monthly bills.
“So we need to be working as hard as we can to make sure that we get the policy right, and we need to keep very carefully attuned to them, to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to try and constrain these cost increases for rate payers.” he said.
Last year, Delmarva Energy sought a $42 million increase to its base rates. That proposal - which would impose a $13 monthly increase to the average user - is still pending approval from the Delaware Public Service Commission.
Chesapeake also filed a request seeking an increase of $12.1 million in base rates, which was resolved in a settlement involving the Department of the Public Advocate: The approved increase was reduced to $6.1 million.
Delmarva's Delaware Customer Relief Fund began earlier this year, offering bill payers up to $300 in bill credits.
Delmarva Power serves approximately 140,000 natural gas customers in New Castle County. Chesapeake serves approximately 77,000 natural gas customers in Delaware.
