SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – You could soon be paying more to keep the lights on. Rocky Mountain Power is requesting a more than $172.3 million rate hike. That's about a 10 percent increase for residential customers. The company says the hike is needed to handle the increase in demand for electricity.
"Utahns are using more power,” said Maria O’Mara, Spokesperson for Rocky Mountain Power. “If you think about your own home, think a couple of decades ago did you have central air, did you have big screen TVs, or two or three? Cell phones, gaming systems, just all the things that you plug in."
Rocky Mountain Power customer Karen Murphy says she doesn't like to think about the increased cost, but thinks the rate hike may be necessary. "Here in the state of Utah the population is increasing all of the time,” said Murphy. “There are more people, there are more homes and there are more businesses."
This isn't the first request Rocky Mountain Power has asked for rate increases. Since 2007 the company has received $230 million in rate hikes. The most recent rate hike came in September of 2011, which resulted in monthly rate increases of $3.50 a month.
"How do I feel? Unsurprised,” said customer Tom Marcus. “I would expect them to do that. That's what they're in business to do, to get as much money accumulated as they can."
The Utah Public Service Commission isn’t likely to make an immediate decision. The commission will review the proposal and get input from agencies like the Committee of Consumer Services. Michele Beck from the Committee of Consumer Services confirmed Utah is at capacity for electricity distribution, but said the committee is unlikely to agree with the large rate increase Rocky Mountain Power is requesting. The Public Service Commission has 240 days to issue a ruling.
