PG&E Has Good News and Bad News

PG&E has good news and bad news. The good news: there is a good chance rates won't go up on January 1, 2009, as originally planned. The bad news: they're going up today. Yesterday actually.

Citing increased costs of $645 million driven by lower hyrdroelectic production and more expensive natural gas, the utility is cranking up rates ny 2%-7%, depending on usage patterns.

The Sacramento Bee writes:

"Under the new rate structure, PG&E said a household using 550 kilowatt-hours per month will see its monthly bill go from $72.12 to $73.40, or 2 percent. A household using 850 kilowatt-hours monthly will see its bill go from $148.44 to $158.11, or 7 percent."

PG&E rate hike may head off another increase Jan. 1 [Sacramento Bee]