RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - Dominion Virginia Power has announced that due to winter's "polar vortex," utility rates will be on the rise.
If the state approves the change, rates would go up, starting July 1, an average of $4.46 a month for people who use 1000 KW of power an hour. Another increase of $1.91 a month would follow, starting in September.
CBS 6 Meteorologist Mike Stone says that the 2014 winter was 9 percent colder than the average winter.
"That polar vortex really got unleashed around the United States," he said. "It hung around longer than it typically does."
Dominion said even with the proposed increase, their rates would still be "well below regional and national averages."
Environmental groups, like The Sierra Club, are protesting the price hikes already, criticizing Dominion for relying on natural gas.
