Atmos Rates Increase: Bryan-College Station Nonprofit Raises Concerns

Residential and Commercial Customers to Experience a Rate Increment

Starting from October 1st, residents and businesses in Bryan-College Station that utilize Atmos’s services will experience a hike in their utility bills. Atmos has announced its decision to increase rates by 6% for residential customers and 3.4% for commercial customers. This decision was reached following a deliberation process involving a committee incorporating 181 cities in Texas, including Bryan and College Station

Defending its position, the utility company says this increase is necessary for growth, modernization, and for making improvements to pipelines. The approved rates are significantly lower than what Atmos requested originally. The increase will equate to an extra $5 per month for residential bills, with commercial bills experiencing an average raise of $13.

City Councils Approve the Increase Amidst Mixed Reactions

Bryan and College Station city councils voted to approve this increment during regular meetings, with different approaches from each council. In Bryan, council members made their approval without a comprehensive public discussion. On the contrary, their counterparts in College Station expressed their resentment at the automatic approval before eventually giving their consent.

Ross Brady, the chief of staff to the city Manager of College Station, addressed the matter by stating, “Atmos is a private company. They are providing the service. They would be able to increase the fees whether we accept it or not.”

Concerns From a Local Nonprofit

Tanisha Pickney, a representative from the Salvation Army of Bryan-College Station, expressed her concerns over the adjacency of this rise to the winter season. The Salvation Army assists families in Bryan-College Station struggling to pay utility bills. In this capacity, Pickney expressed concerns that the increment would strain families further, especially as temperatures fall.

“The bill increase was shocking, because families are already struggling to make ends meet and having to decide, you know, whether to pay my utility bill or get food for my family”, Pickney remarked.

Hope for More Help

In response to the situation, Pickney revealed that the Salvation Army is looking into increasing the aid it receives from Atmos. Atmos donates regularly to the nonprofit to support its utility assistance program, and the Salvation Army now hopes to see an increase in this help in the face of the billed rate increase.

This rate increase is expected to bring an extra $164 million into Atmos, $30 million less than the company initially requested.