The Montana Public Service Commission on Tuesday approved a rate increase for Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. natural gas customers, bringing the average monthly bill to $60.54.

That dollar amount is up from $44.61 in July of last year when Montana Dakota Utilities (MDU) first asked the Public Service Commission to approve their rate increase request, culminating in a 36% hike.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) is only responsible for approving a portion of that total increase, as other parts of it are made up by other charges that the commission can't regulate.

The increase, approved 4-0 with one commissioner absent, will result in a $7.3 million surge in annual revenue for MDU, about $2 million less than they initially requested.

The Montana Consumer Counsel, a state agency that repre

See Full Page