A recent increase in natural gas
rates for two providers in West
Virginia
Sen. Jeff Kessler (D-Marshall) said
he cannot understand why Peoples Gas and Mountaineer Gas are increasing their
rates while West Virginia
“We’ve got a glut of it and prices
are going up,” Kessler. ”Then, in the next headline, I read Chevron
posted an $8 billion dollar profit in the last quarter. Something doesn’t
add up.”
The state Public Service Commission
granted the increased rates to the two companies, although in many cases
natural gas rates have steadily declined over the last ten years. Some
gas rates for residential customers are half what they were a decade ago.
“My degree in economics still tells
me it’s supply and demand,” Kessler said. “I need to see some justification why
it’s going up and we’re sitting on the mother load.”
Kessler has instructed his staff
members to communicate with the state Public Service Commission’s Consumer
Advocate to get a better understanding of the rate hikes. He said he
wants to review the evidence to make certain something wasn’t overlooked.
The change will increase the
average rate payer’s bill from on average $6 to $15 a month. Kessler
said, while that may not seem like a lot to some, it’s a big bite to those on a
fixed income.
“Everyone deserves to make a profit, but if they’re exorbitant
profits and some profits I’m seeing made by the gas companies are significant,”
Kessler said. “I just want to make sure we’re not eating the brunt of it as we
market and ship this gas out of state.”
