ENSTAR wants to raise most gas hookup charges in Southcentral Alaska in 2027

Hooking up to natural gas in Southcentral Alaska would get more expensive under a rate change ENSTAR has proposed for 2027.

The utility has asked the Regulatory Commission of Alaska to raise most of its connection charges starting Jan. 1, 2027, part of an annual update that reflects what its construction work actually cost from 2021 to 2025. The basic service-line fee would rise about $46, to $1,137, and meter-installation charges would climb for most meter sizes — though a couple of the largest sizes would actually drop. The cost ENSTAR uses to price new gas main would rise about 5 percent.

The math isn't the same for every customer. ENSTAR also builds a certain amount of gas main for free, based on how much gas a customer is expected to use, and those free allowances would rise for smaller users and fall for the largest. Weighing the higher fees against the changing allowances, most customer types would come out roughly even or slightly ahead — but some, particularly certain lower-use commercial connections, would end up paying more. (That net comparison isn't one ENSTAR laid out, and no party has confirmed it.) Customers connecting where a gas main already runs get no free allowance at all, and would see only the increases.

ENSTAR projects about 1,600 new customers under the new rates. It's also asking to permanently push back its filing deadline, which would shorten the window between when it files and when new charges take effect — from about eight months to five. Customers and builders "will continue to have adequate notice," the utility says.

The proposal was still pending as of early September. The construction charges aren't listed on ENSTAR's public fees page, which directs people to contact its marketing department.