CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Reduced, Increased Utility Rates OKd

The state Public Utilities Commission on Friday approved an 8% rate reduction for Southern California Gas Co. because of lower gas costs, and a 5.6% rate increase for San Diego Gas & Electric because of inflation. Both changes take effect Jan. 1. The average residential customer of SoCal Gas will pay $1.51 less a month for 55 therms of gas this winter, lowering the bill to $29.94, the PUC said. The total rate decrease is $106 million. The company has more than 4 million customers. SDG&E;’s average customer, using 400 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 40 therms of gas a month, will pay $66.44 in January, up $3.50 from the current monthly bill, the company said. It has 1.1 million customers.