Oregon Public Broadcasting

Many Oregonians will pay more to heat their homes this winter.  The Oregon Public Utility Commission Friday approved a rate increase for two of the state’s three natural gas utilities.  

The largest hike is in store for customers of Northwest Natural Gas, which serves most of the state.  The company’s prices will jump 14 percent starting next month.  Still, the increase is lower than the 40 percent increase the utility projected back in July.  Northwest Natural spokeswoman Jenna Cooper-Gross says that’s because fuel prices have dropped dramatically over the past few months:

Cooper-Gross: "It's sort of a silver lining to the softening of the economy, if you will, that the prices have gone down."

Cascade Utilities customers in Oregon will see a five-percent increase, while customers of Avista Utilities will see their rate drop slightly.   

Northwest Natural has also requested a 20-percent rate increase for its customers in Washington state. Regulators are set to act on that request next week.