Washington Gas and Light asks D.C. commission to rescind $350,000 penalty

Michael Neibauer writes thin the Examiner:

Washington Gas and Light has asked the District's utility regulator to erase a $350,000 penalty levied against it for ignoring orders to fully disclose an outsourcing contract, arguing the fine is “harsh” and “inappropriate.”

Disclosure of the Accenture contract was required as part of a Washington Gas rate case. It is proposing a 7.7 percent rate increase for its 151,000 D.C. customers. The Office of the People's Counsel and the union representing Washington Gas employees sought the paperwork as part of the case, which is on hold.

The $350 million Accenture deal is expected to save Washington Gas $170 million over the next decade. Roughly 150 union jobs will be lost in the process.

My question to Washington Gas is, why does the gas company need to raise rates if it'll save $170 million over 10 years?
I believe the $170 million should be redistributed to the company's customers instead of the rich stock holders.