Washington, D.C
DC-area utility bills have gone up, and that trend may continue – WTOP News
Gas and electric bills have been rising across the D.C. region for a while and that trend may continue, with Washington Gas proposing a rate hike in the near future.
Gas and electric bills have been rising across the D.C. region for a while and that trend may continue, with Washington Gas proposing a rate hike in the near future.
“There’s been a strong upward trend of higher utility bills beyond just the rate of inflation,” said Claire Mills with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, a nonprofit that advocates for policies supporting climate stability in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. “It’s a really tough environment.”
The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, an agency that regulates local utility companies, is considering a proposal from Washington Gas to raise rates by about 12%.
According to the utility, the increase is needed to generate revenue to cover the cost of maintaining and upgrading its infrastructure.
“This is a really massive increase for the average customer,” Mills said, noting that it could push monthly bills up by at least $15.
The commission has held several community meetings to discuss the proposed hike. And Mills was at the most recent event.
“I think almost 20 people had the time to testify, and every single person was talking about how we can’t afford these increased rates,” she said. “One of the people testifying was talking about having to pay $200 a month on gas already.”
Other utility bills have also risen recently.
In January, Pepco informed its customers that electric bills would be increasing by about 5%.
“We have the cost for the literal energy we’re using, and that’s going up because of issues with the regional energy grid,” Mills said. “Then there’s also the distribution charges, like the cost of getting the energy to your house, and that’s going up because of regulatory decisions.”
Unpredictable weather has played a role, too.
Earlier this year, Pepco said it would extend assistance to customers whose energy bills spiked dramatically over the winter.
William Ellis, director of external affairs for Pepco, told WTOP in February that the sticker shock was especially tough on customers after a mild fall.
“It was a very mild November, where the average temperature was about 60 degrees,” Ellis said.
Compare that to the winter conditions where “the average temperature has been hovering around 30 degrees,” Ellis said, which led to “tremendous spikes in customers’ usage” and higher bills.
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DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — One hundred and twenty members of the Iowa National Guard are leaving Friday for Washington, D.C., where they will assist with security measures and America 250 celebrations at the request of the Trump administration.
Reynolds initially said no
Gov. Kim Reynolds said she had previously declined the Trump administration’s request, citing the strain of one of the state’s largest recent deployments.
“They asked earlier, and I said no because we had one of the largest deployments that we’ve had for a long, long time and I just felt that we were stretched pretty thin,” Reynolds said.
Nearly 2,000 Iowa National Guard members had spent a year or more deployed to the Middle East. Those soldiers have since returned home.
Guard members now available following Middle East return
With those troops back, Reynolds said Iowa was in a position to fulfill the president’s request.
“We have them all back. They circled back, especially with everything that’s going on with the 250th uh birthday uh of our country. And so we were able to participate and do our share,” Reynolds said.
Different states have sent National Guard members to Washington, D.C., since last August.
Reynolds said the federal government will pay the costs of Iowa’s deployment to Washington, D.C.
Copyright 2026 Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON – Metro riders are seeing changes Thursday morning as WMATA adjusts its shuttle bus system following concerns about long lines and confusion tied to the Red Line summer shutdown.
Express shuttles to North Bethesda will now only pick up on Wisconsin Avenue near the Trader Joe’s. Local shuttles serving Bethesda, Medical Center and Grosvenor have been moved to the Friendship Heights Metro station, while some regular Metrobus routes are picking up on Western Avenue.
Red Line Shuttle Service Updates
• Local shuttle boarding will be relocated to Bus Bay K – the current C83/D96 bus stop on Wisconsin Ave.
• C83 and D96 buses will be relocated to the bus shelter on Western Ave near Wisconsin Ave.
• Express shuttle boarding will remain in the 5300 block of Wisconsin Ave NW.
What we know:
FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick says Red Line riders say the shutdown has added time to their commute, though many are trying to stay positive. The shuttles connect North Bethesda and Friendship Heights through September 6, when Purple Line construction is expected to wrap up.
Metro Red Line summer shutdown leads to long shuttle lines
Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns
The workaround relies on dedicated shuttle bus lanes along northbound and southbound Wisconsin Avenue/355 and up to Rockville Pike. But truck drivers, delivery drivers and passenger vehicles have been stopping or parking in those lanes, forcing shuttles to go around and slowing traffic.
Metro and Montgomery County police have increased enforcement to keep the lanes clear. Metro Transit Police say they asked more than 60 drivers to move out of the bus lanes in the first days of the shutdown.
Metro is also adding about 100 parking spaces at Friendship Heights in the former Lord & Taylor garage. Some Montgomery County riders are opting for the MARC train downtown instead.
Metro’s Red Line shutdown is now in full effect: Here’s what you need to know
Metro Red Line Summer Shutdown: Changes to shuttle bus service after concerns
The Source: Information in this article comes from WMATA and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Washington D.C. police are searching for a vandal who was caught on surveillance video slashing the tires of multiple vehicles in a Georgetown alley on Tuesday afternoon. The suspect, who fled the scene on a red bicycle, targeted a Chevy Suburban and a Ford Escape on the 1700 block of 35th Street Northwest.
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