OK Natural Gas Prepares to Raise Rates Before Approval By OK Corporation Commission

Oklahoma Natural Gas will implement new rates on Thursday, raising the average residential customer’s monthly bill by about $5.75.

The increase will provide an additional $58 million per year for the company – the amount of the rate increase recommended by Oklahoma Corporation Commission Administrative Law Judge Maribeth Snapp. ONG had asked for a $99.4 million rate increase, and the company has appealed Snapp’s recommendation in hopes the three commissioners will determine the natural gas utility needs a greater rate increase than that recommended by Snapp.

The appeal is scheduled to be heard by the commission on Monday. Though the commission has not yet made a final ruling regarding ONG’s requested rate increase, Oklahoma law allows a utility to implement new rates at the end of a 180-day period in the absence of a final order, and Thursday marks 180 days since ONG’s filing in January.

Along with new rates, the company has altered its service and delivery charges and formed two separate rate plans. Customers will initially be assigned to one of the two rate plans depending on their previous history of natural gas consumption, though ratepayers will be given the option to change plans if they wish to do so, said company officials.