Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-25
NEW GAS RATES
APPROVED WITH
RADICAL CHANGES
Increases to Affect Consum-
erS Paying Less Than
rs Cents a Month.
THOSE OF OVER $1.50
TO GET REDUCTIONS
Utilities Body Action Understood
to Be Acceptable to
Company.

A new schedule OF gas rates, radical
ly different from that submitted by the
Washington Gas Light Co., was ap-
proved by the Public Utilities Gommis-
sion today. The rates have been shown
to officials of the company, and it is
unofficially understood that they are
acceptable to the company and will 70
into effect, if possible, on all bills made
for meter readings on or after Octo-
Der l.
The new schedule for domestic gas
consumption starts with a minimum
bill of rs cents. For the first $500
cubic feet of gas used per month the
rate is 81, as under the schedule now
in force.
For all over $500 cubic feet the rate
is 80 cents per thousand. The result of
this set up is that each customer now
will have his bill increased.
Those paying rs cents and up to $50
VIII have theirs unchanged, and those
paying over $3.50 will have their bills
reduced. Under the company scheduls
the bills of approximately 90 900 Gus
toners would have been increased, I'm
DER the present schedule there will be
increases for but $4,000 customers. The
nllls OF about $4,000 will remain I'M
changed and the bills of about $4,000
will be reduced.
House Heating Change.
The house-heatfng schedule was also
radically changed. There Is no fixed
monthly charge, as provided in the
company schedule. The maximum use
charge is left untouched This pro-
vides for charge of 50 per 100 cubic
feet of maximum hourly rate of use
payable only during the seven heating
months, October to April, inclusive The
price OF gas is fixed at so cents straight,
instead of the graduated scale which
the company proposed descending as
low as so cents per 1000 feet.
BY stepping up the minimum rate
under the house cheating schedule and
decreasing 1t on the domestic schedule
the commission was able to produce a
schedule which will result In q de-
crease in the gross revenue Of the COM
pany OF about s364,0O0, the same
amount the company stated at the
hearings that it was prepared to sacri-
flee in order to get the new gas heat
ing business it expected.
The commission inserted a provision
that the consumer with a gas house
heating plant shall have the plant sep
arately metered, and he may not buy
gas Tor other appliances at the rate
paid for house heating gas. They
struck out the minimum bill provision
and In its place provided for a mini
mum bill of $500 for the entire nom
heating period, May to September, and
q minimum bill for the heating period,
October to April. equal to the demand
charge, and in no case less than 50 per
month.
Big Users Schedule.
The following schedule was set up
for commercial and industrial users:
For the first 500 cubic feet of gas used
per month per 100 cubic feet OF maxi
mum hourly rate of use, $l.20 per
1000 cubic feet For excess of above
up to a total monthly consumption of
100000 cubic feet, 90 cents per 1000
cubic feet. For the next 100000 cubic
feet, 30 cents per 1000 cubic feet. For
the next 400, 900 cubic feet, rs cents per
1000 cubic feet. For all in excess of
100000 cubic feet, 60 cents per 1000
cubic feet.
In all of the schedules there IA a
provision for charge of 10 per cent
extra III case the bill is not paid with
In the discount period This period
remains at Is days after the bill is
rendered, as at present, although the
company had sought to reduce the
period to 10 days.
The commission struck out the rule
requiring customers to pay the cost
estimated by the company of discon-
Meeting his service in case he failed to
pay his bill. 1t inserted rule allowing
the company to charge the consumer
So If he wanted the service reconnected.
The company had sought to make this
a fee to be calculated by the company
and in no case to be less than 50.
All contracts with the company, an
other rule states. unless otherwise
agreed shall be for a year. Should
the customer wish to terminate the
contract in less than a year, then the
company may keep $50 out of his
deposit for this privilege.