Xcel Energy on Monday filed for a $52.7 million rate increase for this springraising the average bill about 8 percent — to cover the increased winter costs of fuel and energy purchased from other generators.
An increase in the cost of natural gas and in the demand for energy during the cold winter months led to the added costs, the utility said in a statement.
Xcel files a rate adjustment for fuel costs each quarter, seeking to either raise or lower rates based on energy costs.
“It is a dollar-for-dollar pass-through,” said Xcel spokesman Tom Henley.
The rate increase would go into effect April 1 if approved by the Public Utilities Commission.
For a typical residential customer using 632 kilowatt-hours a month, the bill would increase by $5.18 a month to $71.53, according to the utility.
The average small-business customer using 1,123 kilowatt-hours a month would see current bills rise by $9.21 a month to $122.41. The Denver Post
