The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) will allow PSE to increase electrical rates by about 1 percent or $17 million a year, about half of the revised amount the company requested. The WUTC will allow PSE to increase natural-gas rates by about 3.2 percent or $31 million annually, rather than the $51.3 million, or 5.3 percent, the company sought originally. The new rates went into effect around the middle of January.

The PSE rate increase does not include any expenses the company incurred restoring its electrical system during the December 2006 windstorm.

The average PSE residential electricity customer will see an increase of about 80 cents a month. In addition, the basic monthly service charge for electricity customers will go up about 6 cents, from $5.75 to $5.81. The typical natural-gas ratepayer will pay about $2.84 more a month, which includes a $2 increase in the monthly customer-service charge, from $6.25 to $8.25. The commission rejected PSE’s proposed $17-a-month natural-gas service charge.