Electricity and natural gas companies are being asked to explain their soaring fees and look for ways to reduce costs, as the Department of Public Utilities announced Monday, Dec. 15, it is investigating rising prices and aiming to make bills more understandable.

According to the DPU, the department will look at “delivery rates and charges with the aims of containing customer costs.”

The move comes two months after the DPU concluded public comment on a request by natural gas supplier Liberty Utilities to jack up Fall River area customers’ rates by an average of 55% next year — and up to 90% by the start of the next decade.

Read more at heraldnews.com.