Gas Rates Going Up Fall 2026
Posted on November 2, 2026 by Charlotte Shuff
Tags, General Interest, Energy
This fall, gas customers in Oregon can expect to see increasing billing rates. Regulators at the Oregon Public Utility Commission have approved increases for all three of Oregon’s gas utilities: NW Natural, Avista, and Cascade.
What to Expect as a Gas Customer
Each gas utility will have a different increase based on its unique situation. New rates start October 31, 2026.
Average monthly increase:
- NW Natural: $5.09 (6%)
- Avista: $5.83 (8.5%)
- Cascade: $7.38 (10.7%)
These monthly increases reflect an average across the whole year for a home with average usage. Households with higher than average usage will see larger increases across the year. And all customers can expect higher dollar amounts than the average in the winter heating months.
Why Are Gas Rates Increasing?
NW Natural and Avista increases are both exclusively fuel cost-related. Cascade has a much larger increase because the utility is also adding new costs from investments to its system for the first time since 2020.
NW Natural and Avista: Fuel Costs
Every year, gas utilities do a lookback at fuel costs from the previous year and adjust rates accordingly. Because gas utilities purchase methane gas in bulk ahead of the winter heating season, the purchases are based on the utility’s best estimate of what customers will need.
While this process may sound counterintuitive, it helps ensure that everyone has gas when it is needed most! This method also helps prevent utilities from having to purchase extra fuel in the middle of the winter, when prices are highest because of high demand. In some years, this process can actually result in lowering bills.
Last winter, temperatures were much warmer than expected, meaning that gas utilities in Oregon spent more on fuel than they made up in sales to customers. Because of this, a mechanism was triggered that allows them to recover some of those expected profits from customers. This mechanism protects utilities in mild winters to ensure that they can continue to provide high-quality service to their customers.
CUB continues to actively evaluate these mechanisms and recommend adjustments as necessary to protect home gas bills.
Cascade: Fuel Costs & System Investments
In January, Cascade Natural Gas asked regulators to approve a 17.4% increase in home billing rates. This was the first time Cascade has asked for a big increase since 2020.
The biggest reason Cascade’s increase is so high is that the utility has been quietly accumulating costs since it last raised rates in 2020. While rates have gone up some in recent years because of the rising cost of methane (natural gas’s main component), the costs of big projects and investments have been piling up. We saw a similar issue with Idaho Power in 2025, with the utility waiting ten years before requesting a 27% increase.
Overall, Cascade’s gas bills are going up because of:
- Operations costs up from inflation
- Big infrastructure projects (pipes and other equipment)
- A small increase in shareholder profits
Big Wins for Customers: In addition to significantly reducing the total increase, CUB helped secure big wins for customers. This includes rejecting large profit margin increases, removing expensive renewable natural gas costs, and phasing out a customer-funded subsidy to add new buildings to the gas system. Customers will also now have access to a pilot program to fund heat pumps in homes, without having to stay on the gas system.
Read More: Agreement Reached for Cascade 2026 Rate Increase
Stay Up to Date on Oregon Utility Issues
CUB will continue to advocate for people in Oregon on major utility issues. Sign up for the CUB email list for the latest updates, action alerts, and news on policies that affect the utilities your home relies on.
To keep up with CUB, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and LinkedIn!
11/05/26 | 0 Comments | Gas Rates Going Up Fall 2026