HARRISBURG - The Office of Consumer Advocate requests that a Public Input Hearing be held in the Pike County Light & Power Company’s service territory concerning the default service petition proceeding. 

PCLP is requesting a new rate structure that would increase the average residential electric bill by almost 15 percent.

“Our office has received a request for a Public Input Hearing from the County of Pike through its Commissioners”, said Aron J. Beatty, Assistant Consumer Advocate, in a letter to Honorable Ember S. Jandebeur , Administrative Law Judge for the Public Utility Commission.  “More specifically, Pike County Commissioner Harry Forbes has requested that a hearing be held, indicating to the OCA that there is substantial concern in the Pike County community with regard to the matters raised in this proceeding.”

A tentative date for a Public Input Hearings is October 9.

PCL&P is seeking an increase of approximately 9.6 percent overall in its annual electric delivery revenues or about $1.2 million. If approved by the PAPUC, the increase would go into effect in April 2009 and would be the first PCL&P electric base rate increase since 1993.

The company says the higher rates are necessary to provide sufficient operating revenues to meet operating expenses, and provide a reasonable rate of return on PCL&P’s investment in electric property.

“The proposed rates also enable PCL&P to maintain its creditworthiness at a level sufficient to raise the capital required to properly perform its obligations to provide safe, adequate and proper service to its electric customers”, said the company, in its filing.