Utility files fuel adjustment for first quarter of 2010
Jackson, Miss. – Customers of Entergy
Mississippi, Inc. will likely soon see electric bills drop again--this time some
11 percent from January through March as compared to the same period in 2009.
The company has submitted its routine
quarterly fuel adjustment to the staff of the Mississippi Public Service
Commission. If approved, customers’ bills will be the lowest they have been in
more than six years.
The submittal shows typical
residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month will pay about $79.46
beginning January 1. Typical monthly residential bills for the first quarter of
2009 were $89.32, a difference of nearly $10.
Bills have dropped even more from
summer 2008 when skyrocketing natural gas prices caused a 28 percent hike. In
fact, the typical customer’s bill is 40 percent less than in July and August
2008 when the same amount of electricity cost nearly $133. That’s a savings of
more than $53.
Falling natural gas prices is the
main reason. The price of natural gas peaked at more than $13.50 per MMBtu in
July 2008 before falling to as low as $3.58 per MMBtu earlier this year. The
Henry Hub price in early November was $4.28 per MMBtu and is predicted to
continue rising in the near future.
“We’re pleased that our customers
will benefit from lower natural gas prices,” said Haley Fisackerly, president
and chief executive officer of Entergy Mississippi, Inc. “We’re also fortunate
to be able to pass along decreases when the approaching holidays and current
economy are causing challenges for many of our customers.”
“However, the market is volatile and
fuel prices could spike again and cause customers’ bills to rise, so we’re
continuing to do everything we can to keep customers’ bills low,” he added. “For
instance, working with the commissioners and the public utilities staff, we’ve
managed to stabilize rates through summer of next year.”
The MPSC and the Mississippi Public
Utilities Staff have 45 days before the start of the affected quarter to review
the fuel adjustment submittal and make any changes.
Entergy Mississippi, Inc. provides
electricity to more than 433,000 customers in 45 counties. It is a subsidiary of
Entergy Corporation. Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged
primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations.
Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of
electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in
the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers
in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
-30-
entergy-mississippi.com
