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LIPA Bills Increasing For Second Time This Summer

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Long Island Power Authority customers will see an increase in their electric bill this month.

The average single-family home will have to pay about $6.21 more in September. LIPA is citing higher energy costs during peak air-conditioning use for the latest hike.

"It's just an increase in the power supply charge," LIPA spokesperson Mark Gross told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall. "LIPA is like any other utility in the state, in that it passes the power supply cost directly to our customers and these costs routinely go up and down from month-to-month on demand."

LIPA Raises Rates For September

"It's no different than what our customers see at the gasoline pumps -- depending on market demand, prices go up and prices go down," Gross added.

The increase is the second hike this summer. Last month, customers saw a roughly four percent increase in their bills, amounting to about $5.71 hike.

Although bills increased more than 8 percent over the two-month period, Gross said LIPA has lowered the power supply charge five times in the past eight months.

Gross points out there has been no rate hike.

In July, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a major LIPA reform bill focusing on competency, accountability and rate stability.

A three-year rate freeze was included in the plan.

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