HECO rate hike to be discussed at hearing

The state Public Utilities Commission is holding a hearing tonight about Hawaiian Electric Co.’s request to increase rates.

The public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. in the Ala Wai Elementary School cafeteria. Those who attend the hearing will be able to express their views about HECO’s request to state regulators. This is the only scheduled public hearing for the rate increase on Oahu.

HECO submitted a request to the PUC in December to raise rates for Oahu customers by 6.9 percent. If approved, it would boost revenue for the company by $106 million and increase customers’ costs by $8.71 a month based on December bills.

HECO’s base rate is only part of the rates customers see on their bills. The rates customers pay change monthly, as they also include surcharges such as the Energy Cost Adjustment, the Purchased Power Adjustment, IRP Cost Recovery, Revenue Balancing Account Adjustment and the Renewable Energy Infrastructure Program.