Story Published:
Aug 28, 2008 at 4:04 PM CST
Story Updated:
Aug 28, 2008 at 4:51 PM CST
SPRINGFIELD -- The Board of Public Utilities that oversees City Utilities of Springfield approved a budget on Thursday for next year that includes an increase in natural gas rates.
CU proposes three incremental increases, spread out over more than a year, to help offset increased operating and maintenance costs. The first increase would come in April 2009. The next two would follow later in the year and in 2010.
By the time all the increases are implemented, the average cost to residential customers would be an additional $7 per month. That would be on top of probable increases based on CU's cost of purchasing natural gas.
The budget, including the rate increases, has to be approved by the Springfield City Council. The first reading of that budget will be at the council's meeting on Sept. 15.
