An increase in residential customers may have spelled the difference between the 3.5 Bcf of gas used by Xcel Energy’s Colorado customers over the recent four-day Thanksgiving weekend, compared to 3 Bcf for the holiday weekend a year ago. Temperatures were nearly the same, with an average daily temperature of 30.5 degrees Fahrenheit this year compared to an average daily temperature of 31 degrees last year. “We had about 39,000 more customers in September 2004 than we had in September 2003,” the last month for which comparative figures are available, according to Xcel spokesman Mark Stutz. In September 2003, Xcel had 1,078,009 customers, compared to the recent month’s 1,117,851. Although Xcel is seeing “modest” customer growth in its Front Range territory, most of the increase is coming in its western mountain resort area where new natural gas service is now available and is replacing electric heating. Stutz said the trend is not confined to Xcel. “All the utilities in the mountain area are seeing the switch from electric and propane to natural gas.”

The New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. announced Tuesday that it will change the margins on its natural gas futures, Henry Hub swap futures, and e-miNYsm futures contracts at the close of business Wednesday. The margins on natural gas futures will make the following changes:

For the Henry Hub swap futures contracts, the margins will make the following changes:

Margins on both months of the e-miNYsm natural gas futures contract will increase to $4,250 from $3,750 for clearing members, to $4,675 from $4,125 for members, and to $5,738 from $5,063 for customers.

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