Delmarva Power is spending this week defending its rate increase request. It’s asking to add nearly $10 to the average monthly utility bill. But some critics of the request say the hike is too high.
Delmarva Power filed for a rate increase in August. But it amended it in October, saying it needed to recover an additional $6.7 million in investments. It’s asking to recover about $31 million.
Delaware Public Advocate Drew Slater said he wants the Public Service Commission to dismiss the rate request next month. He said some residents can’t afford a higher utility bill.
“The original case was about 26 million and this increased it by 6.7 million," he said. "And so between the Public Service Commission staff and the Division of the Public Advocate, we had said you know that increase is too high and it really constitutes a new rate case.”
While Slater said revisions are common, such a large correction needs to be a new request.
“Usually, it could be a $1 million or $2 million," he said. "But in this case, it’s you know it’s a 28 percent increase. And in that case, it really is a new case. There was I think 79 or 80 pages filed.”
Delmarva wants to add about $5.50 to the average Delawareans’ electric bill. It also wants to raise its natural gas rate by about $4.
The commission is expected to consider dismissing the rate filing on Nov. 9th. A Delmarva spokesman said the company is seeking a rate rise to compensate for the improvements it’s made to the energy distribution systems.
Delmarva is owned by Exelon, which merged with Pepco Holdings last year, creating the nation’s biggest utility company.
