Monthly rates for Cascade Natural Gas Corp. customers are expected to rise as much as 40 percent in the coming months due to increased demand and rising wholesale prices, which the public utility will pass along to its customers.
The average monthly increase for residential customers is anticipated to reach 33 percent. Central Oregon business owners who heat offices, stores and other facilities with natural gas should brace themselves for similar rate hikes that will significantly increase monthly overhead expenditures.
The rate hike has not yet been approved by Oregon’s Public Utility Commission, but observers expect the new rates will pass this fall, according to published reports.
