Arizona Utility regulators have approved a rate increase for the state’s largest electric company that will boost the average homeowner’s bill by about $6 a month starting Saturday. Tuesday’s 4-1 vote by the Arizona Public Service reached a deal with solar and consumer over it’s planned increases.

This deal allowed smaller rate increase and cuts to what APS pays rooftop solar customers than the company originally proposed. This deal allows 4.5 percent residential rate increase, below the 8% the utility proposed last year. An administrative Judge has largely agreed with the proposal and the commission also now signed off.

It took more than a year to get the Tuesday vote, and APS officials say that raise will be a good thing, as it will shore up some reserve money for the company. However, others don’t consider the rate increase thing as good.

“we’ve heard from a lot of APS rate players all across the state that this increase was not warranted”, said Daniel E Brown, Executive Director of the Arizona Public interest Research Group.

PIRG is still not sure about why APS has to increase the charges, said Brown.

“In exchange of that, our customers are getting great benefits, including continued investment in reliability”, said Barbara Lockwood, Vice President of Regulation for APS.

He also said that this increase will help low income customers.

“An increase in 33% in funding to provide bill discount to our limited income customers, also a $1.25 million in crisis bill assistance to customers who are having a problem paying their bill”, said Lockwood.

Commissioner Bob Burns opposed the measure, saying APS doesn’t need the increase and hasn’t been open about political spending that backed commissioners in recent elections. He’s suing the company to try to force it to reveal its political spending’s.

By A.s