After years of rate decreases, the Oregon Public Utility Commission has approved a rate increase for natural gas customers which go into effect November 1st. Part of the reason rates will increase is because the cost of natural gas spiked over the last year due to a pipeline explosion last winter, which impacted regional gas supply. The monthly bill of a typical residential customer will increase by $7.30, or 15.2 percent, from $48.11 to $55.41.
