OCR Text |
Show NEW SCHEDULE GIVES Lom RATES QN GAS s Utah Company Applies to State Commission for Permission to Put "Customer "Custo-mer Charge" in Effect Application for a new gas rate has. been filed with the public utilities commission by, tha Vtab Oaa d: Coke company. . The rates sought In the application filed br George R. Horning, manager of the company. Will be a reduction over the present rates. It Is set forth by Mr. Horning. Tha new schedule. If accepted by the commission, provides for a -aet rate of M cents per I00S cable feetofgascompareA- with, the present rate of 11.60. The ratea will be aubject to a "customer charge" of SI a month net and to en additional demand charge of 12 per month net for each 1000 cubic feet of maximum hourly demand. de-mand. - For instance. If the heating heat-ing Installation In a house la such that It will eonaume 200 ruble feat of gaa an hour and auch' la actually ac-tually consumed In sny one month of the year, tha monthly demand charge would be 14. A consumer under this plan would pay 14 in addition to tha 11 customer eh irge and tha it rents for each 1000 cubic feet of gas need la the month NO DISCOUNT ALLOWED. The proposed schedule provides for a penalty of 10 cents per 1000 cubic feet If the gas bill Is not paid within tan daya from date, but provides no discount for prompt payment. At present there la a discount rate of IS cents per 1000 cubic feet for payment wlth-ing wlth-ing ten daya of date. A number of rules laid down with the application specifics that tha uee of gss is not applicable for Incidental heating purposes such as the use of a gas log In ths spring or fall. Another pro-vldea pro-vldea that all gaa shall go through one meter. Accompanying the application Is a letter, part of which follows: "Inclosed plesse find a petition nf the Utah Gaa a Coke company for the authorisation of a reduced gas rate applicable to house heating heat-ing In the city of Salt Lake. "There haa been no insistent publio demsnd for ratee that will allow bouse heating with gas aa fuel. "After- scanning rates and results re-sults of their application la various va-rious other cities. we hava worked out the attached "schedule. "It la our hope that this reduction re-duction of rate will eventually eo tnrreese the uee of gas In Salt Lake that material reductions In other ratea will follow. The Increased In-creased use of gas without a vastly Increased Instantaneous demand de-mand upon tha plant muet be the controlling factor for future lowered low-ered gaa ratea OFFER RECALLED. "The reduction In rate la In ac-t cordance with our voluntary offer of auch heating ratea mode some months sgo to the Chamber of Commerce and Commercial club of Salt Lake. "We believe that these ratea are the most modern form of gas ratea and beet adapted to growth of the gaa business and economy to the customer. "We hope that. In following the form of rate that hae been so aue-eessfully aue-eessfully applied In Iienver. we will be able to make additional Inroads upon our winter amoke nulssnce." The house heating erhedule accompanying ac-companying the applications is dated aa of Friday and It Is pro-paced pro-paced that It be made effective en September 14. or on the thirty daya' notice to the com mission and the public aa required by law. Inasmuch as no enertal rate for house heating has before been applies ap-plies hie in this city. It Is hardly expected ex-pected that tha new ratee will be cleaned eo an Increase, although "customer charge" and "demand charge" have not before been applied ap-plied to gaa service In Utah. Therefore, There-fore, aaleea further Inveatigatloa by the commission should show that this new rete Is really an Increase, the law would not specifics lly demand de-mand any public hearing In regard to the new rate. It waa explelned at the offices of the commission Frt-d.r. Frt-d.r. ; SEPT. 14 DATI SET. fihould the commission take no action snd no protects be filed, the new rsts will automatically go Into effect on the date named Beptem ber 24). The commission has ths power to order a hearing on Its own motion, or an patron of the rem-party rem-party could enter proteat. which would require a heart nc. It la probable, prob-able, howevecv that about the only allegation which would brine- about a heart nr on the proposed rates In the interim would be that the new ratea are preferential, discriminator- or In some similar manner In loiatioa of the utilities law. The new ratee. or any rates of ths company, as those of any other public utility, are open to challenge and hearinv at any time on those grou nde, or on t ho around that they are too hirh or otherwise as-tortlrrnate as-tortlrrnate or unsuitable. "The company te desirous that the application bo a-ranted as soon as possible, aald Mr. HornJna. ao that cltlzene who wish to uee the tree for heating will have an opportunity to procure gaa furnaces. I believe that the company has applied for a rata that will make gas heating practical. "If the returns on gas supplied for heating purposes are sufficient. It Is Ilk i- that other rates may be reduced. The manufacture of gas ts not tbo most Important factor which gorerr.s tha price. It Is nee-esse nee-esse ry that the company recei-e auch returns as will pay ths later ft ' 4 est en Ita property valuation. If more people aee gas, the returns will be greater, of course, and it I ' :nay be noeaibel to lower the ratea The ratea will depend eventually on how much gaa la eoneumed." |