Cranston Rep. Lancia: Why Do Electric Rates Keep Going Up?

CRANSTON, RI—State Rep. Robert Lancia wants Smith Hill to take a look at National Grid. He will ask for a study commission to examine the utility's "overall business practices." In particular, he mentioned the slow response time last October when some customers went without electricity for four days, as well as the rate increases.

Recently, the state Public Utilities Commission agreed to a 53 percent increase for electricity. The company requested the hike due to commodity price increases and said it does not make a profit on the cost of energy. Lancia, (R-Dist. 16, Cranston) said he opposed that rate increase nonetheless.

"The decision to raise the cost of energy from 6.3 cents per kilowatt hour to 9.5 cents is too hard for families trying to make ends meet," he said. Then on Nov. 27, National Grid requested another increase which would cost residential customers about six percent more for electricity and five percent more for gas. That works out to about $65 a month for gas, he said.

Commercial/industrial customers would see increases between three and nine percent for electricity and one and six percent for gas.

Lancia wants the commission to get answers and hopes the results will "put a dollar back in the pockets of each and every resident of Rhode Island."

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