PHOENIX — The Arizona Corporation Commission has allowed Southwest Gas to raise its retail residential rates by about 6.7%.
In a 4-1 vote, the commissioners authorized the utility company to charge about $3 more on the monthly bill for the average single-family home.
Several Southwest Gas customers asked for the commission to reject the rate hike before Tuesday's vote.
"It is simply impossible for anyone to vote for this unfair Southwest Gas rate hike and also be an advocate for ratepayers," one customer wrote commissioners.
Another customer told the ACC that a rate increase was "not reasonable" at a time when Arizonans are having to grapple with inflation and rising living expenses.
The commission additionally approved adjustments to Southwest's Low-Income Ratepayer Assistance program that expands eligibility and the time frame for when customers can get a discount.
Southwest provides gas utility services to over one million customers throughout Arizona.
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What is the Valley?
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
