Xcel Energy’s residential natural gas customers would see a slight decrease in monthly bills while commercial customers would be hit with an increase under a rate change proposal filed today with regulators.
Xcel has proposed to lower the base rate for residential customers from 8.77 cents per therm to 4.05 cents per therm. The utility is also seeking to raise the monthly service and facilities charge from $11.07 to $13.88. Combined, the changes would result in an average drop of 33 cents a month in residential bills, Xcel said.
The natural gas base rate for commercial customers would rise from 10.55 cents per therm to 10.8 cents per therm. The service and facilities charge would increase from $22.13 to $28.38. As a result, the average monthly bill for commercial customers would increase $7.19 to $302.34.
Today’s proposal stems from a June 2007 settlement Xcel reached with the regulators over a base rate case filed in December 2006.
Base rates include the profit that Xcel makes from distributing natural gas to customers. Separately, Xcel each month files to adjust the commodity price of natural gas, which the utility passes through to customers on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
Xcel asked regulators Thursday to approve a 16 percent increase in the monthly natural gas commodity price for May.
Andy Vuong: 303-954-1209 or avuong@denverpost.com
