The cost of natural gas provided to customers by the seven largest natural gas utilities in Pennsylvania increased from 31 percent to 154.6 percent over the last year, according to information from the Public Utility Commission.

Peoples Gas Company residential rates increased the most-- 154.6 percent-- and Columbia Gas customers saw the lowest increase-- 31.2 percent.

The major natural gas utilities saw these increases--

-- Peoples Gas Co. (residential) 154.6% increase

-- Philadelphia Gas Works  152.2% increase

-- Peoples Natural Gas Co. 142.3% increase

-- National Fuel Gas  134.7% increase

-- PECO Gas  86.3% increase

-- UGI Gas Division  41.5% increase

-- Columbia Gas  31.2% increase

Natural gas customers are seeing the biggest increase in energy charges because of the natural gas cost spikes on foreign energy markets caused by the Russian war in Ukraine and by increasing exports of U.S. natural gas in the form of LNG to Europe and Asia.  [Read more here.]

Over half of Pennsylvania households use natural gas as their primary home heating fuel.  [Read more here.]

On August 10, the Public Utility Commission also warned customers of major electric utilities their rates will increase by as much as 19 percent this quarter starting on September 1.  These increases are also driven by the cost of natural gas-fired generation and hot weather demand.  [Read more here.]

Both natural gas and electric utilities adjust the rates they charge their customers for energy every quarter, either up or down, depending on the price of natural gas or electricity they buy.

Shop For Competitive Rates

Customers of both natural gas and electric utilities can shop for independent providers of natural gas and electricity and are not locked in to the price charged by utilities.

Only 14 percent of residential customers got their natural gas from competitive suppliers in 2020.  [Read more here.]

Natural gas customers can go to the PUC’s  PA Gas Switch website and electric customers to PA Power Switch websites to learn more about their options.

Next Quarterly Rate Changes

The next quarterly rate increases/decreases by natural gas companies will be starting September 1, October 1 and November 1, depending what schedule the utilities are on.

Here are the details of how utility natural gas charges increased in the past year, along with their next expected quarterly rate change date--

National Fuel Gas  134.7% increase

   May 1, 2021 Annual Review  $3.8520

   August 1, 2022                        $9.0436

   Nov. 1, 2022 (next increase/decrease)

Philadelphia Gas Works  152.2% increase

   June 1, 2021 Annual Review $3.5700

   June 1, 2022                           $9.0057

   Sept. 1, 2022 (next increase/decrease)

Columbia Gas  31.2% increase

   July 1, 2021 Annual Review $3.8512

   July 1, 2022                           $5.0583

   Oct. 1, 2022 (next increase/decrease)

Peoples Gas Co. (residential) 154.6% increase

   July 1, 2021 Annual Review  $4.0174

   July 1, 2022                          $10.2312

   Oct. 1, 2022 (next increase/decrease)

Peoples Natural Gas Co.   142.3% increase

   July 1, 2021 Annual Review $3.9015

   July 1, 2022                           $9.4567

   Oct. 1, 2022 (next increase/decrease)

UGI Gas Division  41.5% increase

   Sept. 1, 2021 Annual Review $5.1283

   June 1, 2022                            $7.2615

   Sept. 1, 2022 (next increase/decrease)

PECO Gas  86.3% increase

   Sept. 1, 2021 Annual Review $4.0245

   June 1, 2022                            $7.5016

   Sept. 1, 2022 (next increase/decrease)

Click Here for a table showing 2021 - 2022 quarterly price changes and next scheduled changes. 

Click Here for a table showing 2022 - 2023 quarterly prices changes and next scheduled changes.

NewsClips:

-- PA PUC Investigates 32%+ Rate Increase By Leatherstocking Natural Gas Company

-- PA PUC Holds Hearing On Valley Energy 11.8% Natural Gas Increase

-- Inquirer - Andrew Maykuth: Philadelphia Natural Gas Works Proposes To Cap Its Weather Normalization Charge To Prevent Future Billing Mayhem

-- WV Metro News: WV Public Service Commission Warns Utility Customers Of 173% Increase In Natural Gas Rates Coming This Fall

Related Articles:

-- PUC: 4 Major Electric Utilities Have Double Digit Electric Price Increases Coming Sept. 1 Caused By Spike In Natural Gas, Energy Costs, Hot Weather  [PaEN]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Time For Pennsylvania’s Real Energy Freedom - Sharon Pillar, PA Solar Center

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Guest Essay: Key To Lower Energy Prices Is Renewable Energy & Storage - Sharon Pillar, PA Solar Center

-- Baker Hughes PA Natural Gas Drill Rig Count Down 2 From Last Week - 23 [8.12.22]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Want To Rewrite Penn State Study Showing Their Drilling Wastewater Dumped On Roads Is Bad For Human Health, Environment  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Conventional Oil & Gas Driller Compliance Review Will Go Back At Least 5 Years; Whether It Will Be Public Document Not Decided  [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News: Q/A With Eliza Griswold Pulitzer Winning Author Of Deep Dive Into Fracking In PA, How Extractive Industries ‘Gut’ Communities - By David Shribman, Former Editor Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  [PaEN]

-- Climate Wire: New Federal Climate, Energy Law Includes New $700 Million Grant Program To Mitigate Methane Emissions From Conventional Oil & Gas Wells   [PaEN]

-- Yale School Of Public Health Study Found PA Children 2 To 3 Times More Likely To Be Diagnosed With Leukemia If They Live Near Unconventional Shale Gas Facilities  [PaEN]

-- Grant Township Charter Banning Drilling Wastewater Injection Wells Struck Down By State Court; Decision Appealed To PA Supreme Court  [PaEN]

-- PA PUC: Cost Of Natural Gas Provided By Major Utilities In PA Increased As Much As 154% Over Last Year  [PaEN]

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports Decline In PA Natural Gas Production For 2nd Quarter In A Row For First Time; But An Increase In New Wells Drilled  [PaEN]

-- New Poll: Strong Majority Of PA Voters Support Climate Action To Cut Carbon and Methane Pollution  [PaEN]

-- DEP Suspending Enforcement Of Certain Vapor Leak Monitoring For Small Gasoline Storage Tanks In Philadelphia, Pittsburgh-Beaver Valley Areas  [PaEN]

-- PA Supreme Court: Accounting Required For Environmental Rights Amendment Trust Fund Money From State Forest Oil & Gas Drilling - By John C. Dernbach, Commonwealth Law School, Widener University   [PaEN]

[Posted: August 17, 2022]

8/22/2022