______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20549
________________
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report April 8, 1994
I.R.S.
Commission Employer
File State of Identification
Number Registrant Incorporation Number
001-11227 Washington Energy Company Washington 91-1005304
001-11271 Washington Natural Gas Company Washington 91-1005303
815 Mercer Street, Seattle, Washington 98111
(Address of Registrant's principal executive offices)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (206) 622-6767
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
PAGE 2
Item 5. Other Events
On April 7, 1994, Washington Energy Company made the following press release:
UTILITY REGULATORY STAFF RECOMMENDS $19 MILLION INCREASE FOR WNG
SEATTLE -- The staff of the Washington Utilities and Transportation
Commission (WUTC) has recommended a $19 million increase, or 4.9 percent, in
annual revenues for Washington Natural Gas, the gas utility subsidiary of
Washington Energy Company (NYSE:WEG). If the staff's recommendation is
adopted by the WUTC, the average residential bill would increase by approxi-
mately $2.42 a month.
The filing made yesterday (April 6), is a recommendation by the staff of
the WUTC. The WUTC's three commissioners now have until October 19, 1994, to
issue a final decision on the utility's rate increase request.
The WUTC staff proposal is in response to the November 1993 request
filed by Washington Natural Gas for a rate increase of $24.6 million, or 6.4
percent, in annual revenues.
The gas utility's filing seeks to update its rates to cover costs
related to increased customer usage and improvements to its distribution
system, as well as increases in operating costs since the 1991 test year on
which current rates are based. The test year for this current filing covers a
12-month period ending September 30, 1993.
Neither the staff's nor the company's filings request a
change to Washington Natural Gas' currently authorized 9.15 percent overall
rate of return or its 10.5 percent return on common equity.
Washington Natural Gas, serving more than 440,000 customers in the Puget
Sound region of Washington state, is the largest gas utility in the Pacific
Northwest.
PAGE 3
Signatures
Pursuant to the Requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
WASHINGTON ENERGY COMPANY
by /S/ James P. Torgerson
Senior Vice President - Finance,
Planning and Development and
Chief Financial Officer
WASHINGTON NATURAL GAS COMPANY
by /S/ James P. Torgerson
Senior Vice President - Finance,
Planning and Development and
Chief Financial Officer
April 8, 1994
