The Region - News from Nov. 25, 1985

With the exception of people who live in Denver, the residents of Los Angeles still pay the lowest flat rates for telephone service in the nation, according to the state Public Utilities Commission. A flat rate is a basic charge under which a customer is allowed a limited number of calls without additional payment. Rates based simply on the calls made are lower in Chicago and New York, the PUC said, but flat rates are unavailable there. The annual survey of typical monthly utility bills in the 25 largest cities in the United States showed that total monthly bills for gas and electricity increased in all of them over the last fiscal year, the PUC said. Residents of San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego also paid relatively low flat rates.