Xcel Energy filed with Colorado regulators for approval of a $52.7 million rate increase to cover the utility’s updated forecast of fuel and purchased energy prices for the second quarter of this year and an undercollection for the first quarter. It asked the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to make the increase effective April 1. Minneapolis-based Xcel said the electric commodity adjustment (ECA) filing is estimated to drive up residential and small business customer bills an average of 8%. The ECA portion of Xcel customers’ electric bills would increase to 3.73 cents/kWh in the second quarter, compared to 2.93 cents/kWh currently. For the typical residential customer, bills would increase by about $5.18 monthly to around $71.53. Small businesses face a monthly increase of $9.21, taking the average bill to more than $122. Costs associated with increase or decreases through the ECA are passed through on a dollar-per-dollar basis.

©Copyright 2010Intelligence Press Inc. All rights reserved. The preceding news reportmay not be republished or redistributed, in whole or in part, in anyform, without prior written consent of Intelligence Press, Inc.