Idaho Power rate increase

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Story Published: Dec 8, 2008 at 11:35 PM MDT

Story Updated: Dec 18, 2008 at 4:38 PM MDT

By Justine Beauvais

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POCATELLO - Idaho Power and the Public Utilities Commission held a public hearing this evening in Pocatello to hear comment on the plan.

For Rebecca Wall a larger number on her power bill means a bigger struggle for her and her family.

"If it goes up I don't even know how we'd be able to pay it," says Wall.

With the current economic state and raising a 21-month-old and soon to be three year old, money is already tight.

"I'm trying to get them potty trained so we can get out of that expense right now."

Now Idaho Power wants to raise their rates which could make things even more difficult for Wall.

"Our bills already too high and if they raise it ten percent I can't even think about how we're gonna pay it, we're gonna both probably have to get another job," she says.

The reason for the rate hike is to recover expenses from the past year, but Idaho Power claims these expenses benefit the customers.

"They benefit from lower financing costs and they benefit from more reliable service and we prepare to meet their future needs," says Idaho Power's vice president of regulatory affairs Ric Gale.

But the Public Utilities Commission must first decide if this is the best approach.

"We have a staff of auditors, engineers, and attorneys who are going through their application, auditing their books and finding out if in fact this size of an increase is warranted," says public information officer Gene Fadness.

For Wall she hopes a decision will be made that won't affect her wallet.

"It's already got a dent and with this an even bigger one. I hope they don't approve it," she says.

Under the proposal, rates would be up 6.3 percent for residential customers and nearly 15 percent for industrial and irrigation customers.

The commission plans to make a decision early next year.

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