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Yankee Gas to seek 29% rate hike

Flames emerge from burners on a natural gas stove.
Steven Senne
/
AP
Flames emerge from burners on a natural gas stove.

Yankee Gas, Connecticut’s largest natural gas distribution company, has announced that it will soon file a request with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority for a $209 million rate increase.

The hike represents a 29% increase, according to state officials.

It is needed to recover past investments and pay for future upgrades, the company said.

Attorney General William Tong said in a statement criticizing the move that the increase could not come at a worse time for Connecticut consumers already struggling to afford skyrocketing utility bills.

He said it could cost the average Yankee Gas customer up to $38 more a month. He vowed to review every line of the request from the moment it is filed.

State Consumer Advocate Claire Coleman has also promised to scrutinize the request.

She said it represents the largest rate hike ever proposed by a distribution company.

If approved, the rate hike will take effect in November of next year.

Yankee Gas is owned by Eversource, the state’s largest utility. It provides natural gas service to 252,000 customers in 85 towns in Connecticut.

As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year.