Entergy Customers to See lower Electric Bills
Groveton News - April 2007

   Beaumont, Texas–Hot temp-eratures are synonymous with high electric bills in Southeast Texas. But Entergy Texas customers can expect some welcome relief this year when company customers will reap the benefit of a fuel cost refund.
“Customer bills will go down an average $9.96 per month. The refund will begin with our June billing cycle, according to the plan we filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas,” explained Stan Foley, Hunts-ville Customer Service Manager. “The refund will continue for six months. Customers will benefit from the refund through November.”
    The average 1,000 kilowatt-hour residential bill will go down from a current charge of $111.57 to $101.61 when the refund goes into effect.
    Entergy Texas filed a request this month with the Public Utility Commission of Texas outlining company plans to give a refund to customers totaling approximately $78.5 million, including interest through the proposed six month refund period. This action follows on the heels of two previous fuel-cost reductions that have reflected lower natural gas prices and benefited customers.
    Last November, Entergy removed two fuel surcharges from customer bills. The surcharges came to $9.92 on an average bill. The company’s fixed fuel factor, which reflects projected fuel costs, was lowered this month, reducing the average bill by another $3.22.
   The changes in fuel costs together mean the average bill has declined more than 18 percent since September. At that time, the average bill was $124.71. With fuel cost surcharges removed, the fixed fuel factor reduced and a refund to be implemented, customers will have seen their bills decrease by about $23 per month by June. Entergy does not make a profit on fuel expenses. Customers pay what Entergy pays.
    The fixed fuel factor is set twice a year in March and September. If the fuel factor results in over- or under-collection of fuel costs, the PUCT allows Entergy to adjust it to reflect the increase or decrease. Increases in fuel costs are collected in the form of surcharges while decreases in fuel costs that result in over-collection of revenue are returned to customers in the form of a refund on electric bills.
    Entergy Texas provides electricity to 385,000 customers in 26 counties. It is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation. Corp-oration is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approx-imately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.6 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missis-sippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of over $10 billion and approximately 14,000 employees. Entergy Texas’ Web site is www. entergy-texas.com