We are used to seeing prices go up, sometimes gradually, OR literally overnight. For example, I'm sure you have noticed rising prices at the gas pumps. Now according to the Bismarck Tribune Montana-Dakota-Utilities wants to charge its natural gas customers more to replace aging pipelines, but some residents don’t want to see higher bills. 

Well, that's a no-brainer, I don't want my monthly bill to grow either. So listen, if this does happen, we can all blame aging pipelines. I understand the process of retiring the old and bringing in the new, and MDU wants to raise the gas rates by $5.54 per month for customers. Now, this could have been more, their initial stab was $6.26. Needless to say, there are quite a few people in our city that live off of tight budgets, and any kind of unexpected change in their bill can add extra stress. Let's take 76 years old Bismarck resident Howard Burns Sr. for instance - The North Dakota Public Service Commission had a public gathering yesterday for residents to voice their opinions and Mr. Burns Sr had this to say “It affects our quality of life every time one of these essential services goes up because we’re on fixed incomes,” 

MDU's goals are to replace the old pipelines, which by the way, about 25% of them were installed over 50 years ago. The proposed rate increase would go to bringing everything up-to-date, so to speak. Progress though is not understood by everyone, and Howard had one last jab at MDU “It appears MDU is seeking the rate increase to make residential customers bear most of this increase, it goes without saying that this is unfair to the residential customers.” 


 

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