Show El EI Paso Gas Applies To Raise Wholesale Rates El Paso Natural Gas Company last week asked the Federal Power Commission Commission Commis Commis- sion for authority to increase rates to wholesale customers in California the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest to compensate for higher costs experienced experienced exper exper- in providing natural gas service service RATES HATES TO the company's Southern Division customers in Arizona California Califor Califor- nia ma southern Nevada New Mexico and west Texas would be increased by an average of 3 66 cents per thousand cubic feet In the company's Northwest Division Di Di- ision vision which serves Colorado Nevada Nevada Nev Nev- ada Utah Wyoming Idaho Oregon and Washington rates would be increased an average of 3 53 cents per thousand cubic feet of gas These increases which apply to wholesale wholesale wholesale whole whole- sale customers would amount to approximately approximately a penny per day if passed along to the average householder ADDITIONALLY THE company applied applied applied ap ap- plied to the for conditional authority auth auth- onty to adjust Its Us rates in both div div div- Is Ions to offset future increases in prices for gas purchased from its suppliers not to exceed 67 cents cents' per pel thousand cubic feet of gas on the Southern Division Division Division Di Di- vision and cents per thousand cubic feet on the Northwest Divisions The Northwest Division rate increase would be the first instituted by El Paso Natural since February 1958 THE COMPANY said the increases in both divisions are required because of substantially higher costs of borrowed capital labor materials and supplies and the return to normalized accountIng accounting account account- ing for Federal income taxes On both divisions the higher rates are designed to provide a rate of return of 8 per pel cent on invested capital the company said The increase of 3 66 cents on the Southern Division would result in additional revenues of approximately 43 39 9 million annually and the 3 53 cent increase in the Northwest Division would provide additional revenues of about million annually |