? Westar Energy is asking the Kansas Corporation Commission to allow it to increase rates for residential customers and schools and to reduce them for most businesses.

The utility said the proposed increase to the transmission rate would add about $4 a month to the average residential customer’s bills while most small businesses would pay about $31 less. Midsize businesses would see about a 1 percent increase in their transmission rate and the largest commercial and industrial customers would get a 4 percent reduction. The proposal would increase rates for schools by about 29 percent, The Wichita Eagle reported.

If approved, the proposed changes would bring in another $25 million a year for Westar, which received a $78 million general rate increase in September.

The change would affect the transmission charge, which pays for what Westar spends to transmit power to customers. It also currently adds an 11.3 percent profit for Westar stockholders.

Westar spokeswoman Gina Penzig said the transmission charge is being calculated this year based on peak electric uses for each customer class and residential customers use the most power during peak periods.

The request comes at a time when the agency charged with representing residential and small-business customers in utility cases is in disarray.

Since the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board’s consumer counsel David Springe resigned in December, the group’s board fired his interim replacement and its economist and rate analyst resigned. CURB chairwoman Ellen Janoski said the agency hasn’t yet determined its position on the transmission rates.

The utility’s application said the planned start date for the new rates is April 1.