Pacific Gas and Electric Company is Back with More Rate Increase Filings in our July Statements.

Pacific Gas and Electric is asking CPUC to raise electric rates by more than $2 billion, with a procurement filing in excess of $4.4 billion. This estimated procurement will raise rates substantially.

This rate increase filing is over and above the rate increases plus the decrease in capital filing, an increase of income for PG&E, we all received in our May 2012 statements.

The estimated procurement filing came in the July 2012 statement we all received. Along with the procurement filing is another filing for gas rate increase, due to the purchase of instrumentation for gas compressor stations.

With the rate increase filings that came in our May 2012 statements along with these new filings received this month.

The average utility customer will see electrical rate increases from $18 to as much as $28 each month going into 2013 and capping in 2014.

If the CPUC approves the procurement application the typical bundled residential customer using 550 kilowatt-hours (kWh) will see an average monthly increase of $3.07 on their statement.

A typical bundles residential customer using 850 (kWh) will see an average monthly increase of $12.20 on their statements. This procurement filing is an estimate, rates could even become higher.

Remember the three rate increase filings of nearly $15 rate increase with the CPUC in our May 2012 statements?

The gas rate increase is due in part to PG&E underestimating gas procurement costs by $7.5 million. PG&E states this increase is less than 1 percent for bundled customers.

A customer using 37 therms of natural gas will see an average monthly increase from $46.13 to $46.16.

Remember the $34.8 million severence package PG&E CEO Peter Darbee received in 2011? That certainly would have covered the gas rate increase projection for 2013 and many more years down the road.

I am perplexed with consumer (customer) apathy on this issue. Seemingly complete disregard, indifference to the cost of utilities PG&E is providing.

Primarily when it comnes to the level of bonuses paid out to PG&E executives. Along with the Darbee bonus, I conservatively estimate bonuses in excess of $100 million.

The gross mismanagement of the PG&E company, the willful distortion of facts surrounding the San Bruno gas explosion and fire, and PG&E attempts to pass that estimated $1 billion in liability to the ratepayers.