LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Warmer temperatures mean people won't have to crank the heat as much, but utility bills are still top of mind following the arctic cold Arkansas recently experienced.
Customers with Summit Utilities could even see a rate increase later this year.
"I was frustrated," Summit Utilities Customer Molly Gray said. "Just a few months ago, we got an email saying they were lowering our rates, and now they're going to increase them again. It just doesn't seem right."
Gray found out about Summit's potential rate increase Thursday after the utility company filed a request with the Arkansas Public Service Commission.
She and many others hope they won't have higher bills come the end of the year.
"If it gets approved, we will definitely have to watch our finances a lot more," Gray said.
According to Summit, the average monthly bill for a typical household would go up by $18.48, and small commercial spaces would increase by $28.00.
"Last year alone, Summit invested $155 million in Arkansas, in our infrastructure so that we can provide safe and reliable natural gas," Stephanie Sharp with Summit Utilities said. "Along with the investments we've made... the capital investments... inflation and other economic factors, that's why we have to ask for this."
Sharp said the company hasn't had a rate increase since 2022. Additionally, after Summit acquired Centerpoint's assets, they were told they needed to move forward with this rate case.
"Rates won't go up for our customers tomorrow," Sharp said. "We just want people to know that this is going to be a long process that we are going to be open and transparent about."
According to Chief of Staff Danni Hoefer, the process will take 10 months through the Arkansas Public Service Commission, which is the standard for all kinds of utility rate increases.
"There'll be multiple rounds of testimony that get filed throughout this 10-month process," Hoefer said. "During that time, a lot of it is evidence collecting."
The public is welcome to give their input as well.
"They can file public comments, either on our website [or] they can write letters to send to the commission," Hoefer said. "At the end, it will culminate with a public hearing."
Sharp said Summit Utilities is looking forward to the process.
"We do look forward to working closely with them so we can determine what is best for our company needs as well as our consumers' needs," Sharp said.
If the rate increase is approved, Summit Utilities said customers will see it around November 2024.