COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. is asking for a 9.5 percent increase in retail electric rates.
The Columbia company said Friday it's asking the state Public Service Commission to approve the increase primarily to recover the cost of complying with government environmental regulations.
SCE&G president Kevin Marsh says it's the utility's first general increase since 2007. Marsh says he's asking that the increase be divided into three phases of about 3 percent each, over 18 months, to ease the impact on customers.
The company says if regulators agree, the typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity would see a monthly increase of $3.91 in July, $3.77 in January, 2011 and an additional $4.01 in July 2011.
The PSC is expected to hold hearings on the request in the spring.
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