Rate Increases Approved by Regulators

West Virginia regulators have approved a $96.9 million rate increase for Mon Power and Potomac Edison to cover the utilities’ fuel and other costs. The Public Service Commission also has approved a separate rate hike of nearly $36.7 million to cover the cost of the First Energy subsidiaries’ vegetation management system. Both rate increases approved this week will be effective Jan. 1. Mon Power and Potomac Edison said Wednesday in a news release that the rate increases will add about $9 to the monthly bill of a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity. Both rate increases were negotiated by the utilities and the PSC staff, the Consumer Advocate Division, West Virginia Energy Users Group and the West Virginia Citizen Action Group.