With rate increases expected next year, PG and E is proposing that recent tax savings be used to help offset the increases. Utility spokeswoman Brandi Merlo says they’ve made the request to the California Public Utilities Commission…

click to listen to Brandi Merlo

Merlo says the total annual tax savings they want to pass along to customers is about 450-million dollars. She says the increase, phased in over two years, starting in 2019, for a residential customer who uses about 500 kilowatts a month would be 4-point-7 percent. The rate hike is based partly on growing costs from repairs and maintenance, due to extreme weather in recent years…

click to listen to Brandi Merlo

Merlo says it’s not known, at this time, how much the rate increases will be offset by the tax savings and the earliest there would be any impact would be January.