Des Moines, Iowa — The Iowa Utilities Board has agreed to a settlement in the request for Alliant Energy to increase the rate the company charges customers for natural gas. IUB spokesman, Don Tormey, says the settlement came after hearings and testimony on the proposal.
He says the drop in the amount of money Alliant asked for will mean a lower increase for customers.
The settlement also includes a fee for those who want to opt out of using new gas meters.
The new meters send out radio signals that are used to read the amount of gas used by customers so they don’t have to be manually read. Alliant has originally proposed a 15 dollar fee for those who wanted to opt out of using the new meters. The company says it sought the rate increase for a series of system rebuilds and regulator station work for 2019 and 2020. Alliant says the upgrades will improve the reliability of the natural gas distribution system lines and enhance service for customers.
Tormey says Alliant is also seeking an electric rate increase, and that case is still in process and a final decision on that rate has not yet been determined.
Alliant is the natural gas provider in a number of Lyon and Osceola County towns.
