Evening star., 1939-08-12
Gas RateCut
10 Be Effective
September |
SIiding-ScoIe Schedule
Saving $4,000
Is Announced

INCW ldOCo 1Ol viz w apAAAAAS VIII NIeAo
Light Co., which will bring about a
saving to consumers of $l20,100 dur
ing the next II months. were ordered
today by the Public Utilities Com
mission in the annual adjustment
of the company's schedules under Its
sliding-scale plan. The new rates
will be effective on all bills rendered
as OF September l.
OF the total rate cut, S78,7OU was
applied to the domestic consumers,
$39700 to the commercial and in
dustrial users, and $1,700 to the
wholesale apartment house service.
The commission found that under
the sliding scale arrangement there
was actually available for rate cuts
for the new year $123,409, but So
800 Of thus sum was left over for
use next year, since the odd sum
was not susceptible of easy applica-
tlon to the rate schedules.
The Federal and District Govern
ments, as we'll as private consumers,
also will enjoy rate cut, which was
estimated to total $3,400 in the next
year. An act of Congress provides
that the cost to the governments
shall not exceed 10 cents per 1000
cubic feet of gas per month. but the
governments are given the advan-
tage of use of the commercial sched-
ules if those rates are lower than
the maximum fixed by Congress.
No Saving on Minimum.
The domestic consumers using the
minimum of gas each month will
receive no saving Householders who
use between 3.1O0 and 5000 cubic
feet month will find savings of
about S cents month on their bills.
Those who use more than 6,100 cubic
feet will receive cut of cents per
thousand on all over 6,l00 cubic feet,
in addition to the cents saving on
the lower bracket.
The new schedule A, for general
domestic service, will be: For the
first 800 cubic feet, minimum charge
of IS cents a month. the same as in
the past year, with gross bill of 83
cents if the customer does not take
e1aN dllOo6S Va VIC OlotCllll 1Oi
payment; for the next 1900 cubic
feet per month, the net rate is
cents per 100 cubic feet, and the
gross bill, 88 cents; for the next
5000 cubic feet. a net charge of 7
cents per 100 cubic feet and a gross
OF rs cents; for all gas over 5000
cubic feet. net charge of 6.3 cents
1nn |11hiN feat ~,
of 6.5 cents.
New Schedule.
The new schedule c, for CONNER
cial and industrial service will be:
For the first 900 cubic feet, min
imum net charge of IS cents and a
minimum gross bill of SO cents; for
the next 4,100 cubic feet a net
charge of 10 cents and a gross of
8.5 cents per 100 cubic feet; for
the next 5000 a net charge of
cents and gross bill of rs cents
per 100 cubic feet; for the next
10000 cubic feet cents per 100
cubic feet and 63 cents on the gross
bill; for the next 100000 cubic feet
q net of So cents and gross of 5.3
cents per 100 cubic feet; for the
excess over 100000 cubic feet per
month a net of As cents and gross
of As cents per 100 cubic feet
The new Schedule F for wholesale
apartment house service, will be: For
the first 5000 cubic feet month,
net of cents per 100 cubic feet and
a gross of 88 cents; for the next S.
900 cubic feet, a net of rs cents and
a gross of cents per 100 feet; for the
excess over 10000 cubic feet, net of
63 cents and a gross of 65 cents per
100 cubic feet.
S24,119,926 Rate Base.
The commission placed the rate
base or valuation for rate-making
purposes, as $24,11992677 as of June
80, 1889, the end of the past test
year. this being the figure reported
by the commissions chief account
ant, B. M. Bachman. The commits
sion found that the gross operating
revenues of the company in the past
year totalled 1888 ,88129 and that
the adjusted operating expenses were
IS ,487 ,586.43. 1t found that there
was available for return last year
sum of $1,866 .29486.
The rate cut was higher than
the company had contended for and
also was lower than the sum sug-
gested by Mr.. Bachman. The de-
cision turned on the handling of a
saving of $132,0l1 to the company
from a reduction of its Federal in
come taxes claimed by the COM
pany on account of cost to it for
bond refinancing operations. AS
the commission handled this item,
the result is that, in amortizing this
saving over a two-year period, in
stead of one year, as suggested by
Mr.. Bachman, or five years, as sug-
gested by the company, the con-
sumers' benefit in the next II months
amounted to $40,165 and like
amount was held over for consid-
Grafton in any adjustment Of COM
pany rates the following year.