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Resident asks council to file complaint over UGI rate increase; councilman to lead effort
Summary
A resident urged the council to file a formal complaint with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission over a UGI gas-rate increase; Councilman King said he will organize a complaint and involve state representatives as he did in a prior water-rate effort.
A resident asked the Scranton City Council on Tuesday to seek a formal review of a proposed UGI natural-gas rate increase, telling the council the hikes would further strain working-class household budgets. The rate increase discussed in public comments was described as an additional 11 percent — the third such hike in roughly a year in the region, according to a commenter.
Councilman King said he would work with the city solicitor and state representatives to organize a formal complaint to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), following the model the council used earlier to seek rate relief from a water utility. King said the prior effort helped reduce a proposed water-rate increase. He pledged to provide docket information publicly so that citizens can file supporting complaints to the PUC.
Why it matters: Utility-rate hikes are regulated by the PUC; municipal complaints and coordinated citizen filings can trigger local hearings and public comment opportunities. An organized city-level filing can prompt a formal docket and a public hearing, which supporters said would allow residents to weigh in.
Ending: Council members said they will begin organizing the complaint and will coordinate with state lawmakers and residents who wish to participate in the PUC process; a formal docket number will be published when available.
