Xcel projecting lower natural gas rates, higher electricity bills for 4Q

DENVER — Xcel Energy customers can expect to see slightly lower natural-gas bills this fall than the same period a year ago. But small businesses in particular will see significantly higher electricity bills.

Xcel this week filed its proposed quarterly Electric Commodity Adjustment and Gas Cost Adjustment with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Cost increases or decreases for those commodities are generally passed along to customers on a dollar-for-dollar basis. If approved by the PUC, the proposed new rates would take effect Oct. 1 and run through the end of December.

Based on average usage, both residential and small-business customers of Xcel would see their natural gas bills dip by about 1 percent under the new rates versus the same three months last year. The average residential bill, defined by 91.2 therms of gas used during fall months when temperatures drop and heating use increases, would be $57.54 versus $58.31 a year ago. The average small-business bill, based on 371.1 therms used, would slide from $233.77 to $232.10.

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The average electricity bill, from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of this year, is expected to rise only 3.2 percent for residential customers and 3 percent for small-business customers. But compared to the fourth quarter of last year those expected increases are 12.7 percent and 32 percent, respectively.

Based on average use of 632 kilowatt-hours, the average residential bill is projected to be $77.45 in the fourth quarter of this year, up from $68.74 a year earlier. Small businesses, based on average usage of 1,123 kilowatt-hours, can expect to see the average electricity bill rise to $148.06 in the fourth quarter, up from $111.98 a year earlier.