PHOENIX — Natural gas for Gira Valley users can see increased monthly bills.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the Arizona Corporation Commission will hear requests from Southwest Gas to raise rates by 7.6%.
Southwest Gas serves most of Graham County (with the exception of Safford, which has its own natural gas utility) and the Clifton area of Greenlee County.
If approved, the rate increase would be about $3 per month, bringing the average monthly bill for a home to about $48. Southwest Gas’ requested rate hike is the second in two years. In 2020, the natural gas provider received approval to raise rates by nearly 10%.
In October 2020, members of the Graham County Cooperative voted to sell the cooperative’s natural gas division to Southwest Gas. In May 2022, Pima and Thatcher voters overwhelmingly approved a franchise deal with Southwest Gas and his two towns.
Natural gas prices have skyrocketed over the last 12-18 months. Natural gas produces most of the electricity supplied by providers in Graham County, resulting in higher residential and commercial electricity rates across the board.
The Works Committee will meet on Tuesday at 9:00 am in Phoenix. Non-Phoenix members of the public who wish to comment on requests for rate increases can do so through video conferencing. However, he must first create an ACC Portal account at https://efiling.azcc.gov/cases at least one hour before his meeting starts.
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