Some Wapello County Residents May Soon See Higher Natural Gas Prices [Video]

Some Wapello co-residents will soon see higher natural gas prices. MidAmerican Energy has won approval to raise Iowa natural gas customers’ bills by nearly $2 a month, the first gas rate increase in two decades.

The Iowa Utilities Board approved the rate increase on March 29th. It’s expected to become effective by May 1, said Des Moines-based MidAmerican, owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.

The increase will push the average monthly bill $1.86 higher — or 2.4% — for about 616,000 Iowa natural gas customers, according to information from MidAmerican and Iowa Utilities Board.

MidAmerican received approval last year to collect a temporary rate increase that averaged about $5 per month. MidAmerican says it’s unlikely that refunds will be awarded to customers, with the money, instead, going to offset a gas expense the utility says is underfunded.