Xcel Energy is based in Minneapolis and is Colorado’s largest utility with about 1.3 million customers.
November’s heating bills will be about 10 percent lower than a year earlier, but more than double this month’s bills due to colder weather and more natural gas usage by customers, Xcel Energy Inc. said Thursday.
Xcel said it’s asked the Colorado Public Utilities Commission for permission to raise the per-therm price of natural gas by 53 percent in November compared to October, or from 32 cents per therm in October to 48 cents per therm in November. The November 2006 price was 57 cents per therm. The price increase from October to November is accompanied by more usage by customers as the weather gets colder, Xcel said. Typical residential customers double their consumption in November, compared to October, Xcel said.
Overall bills are expected to increase in November to $70.21 for residential customers, based on projected usage of 93.2 therms. That compares to $32.85 average bills in October, with projected usage averaging 46.5 therms, Xcel said. The typical November 2006 bill was $76.81, Xcel said.
Typical small-business customers are expected to use 89 percent more natural gas in November compared to this month, Xcel said. Small-business customers are expected to see a November bill of $335.59, based on use of 480.9 therms. Bills in October are expected to be $145.32 for average small-business customers, on usage of 254.1 therms.
The typical November 2006 bill was $372.19, Xcel said. If approved by the PUC, the new rate takes effect Nov. 1. Xcel does not profit from the sale of the natural gas commodity to its customers. All costs connected with the commodity price of natural gas are passed along to customers on a dollar-per-dollar basis.
