CenterPoint Energy Passes on Lower Wholesale Natural Gas Prices to Oklahoma Customers
October 27 2009 - 11:11AM
PR Newswire (US)
Winter bills expected to be about 20% lower on average than last
winter depending on customer usage HOUSTON, Oct. 27
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CenterPoint Energy is passing on lower
wholesale natural gas prices to customers in Oklahoma. Through the
Gas Supply Rate (GSR), an allowed adjustment to the gas supply
charge portion of a customer bill, CenterPoint Energy passes on the
cost of natural gas with no markup. The GSR typically makes up
60-70 percent of a customer bill. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020930/CNPLOGO) With this
lower GSR, an average residential bill in Oklahoma that was $120.59
last winter will be $97.24 this coming winter, excluding taxes.
This represents nearly a 20 percent decrease. The actual decrease
will vary depending on the amount of natural gas used. "We are
happy to be able to pass this natural gas price decrease on to
customers going into the winter heating season since natural gas
usage typically increases due to heating needs," said Walter
Bryant, vice president of Gas Operations in Oklahoma. By following
some simple energy savings tips, customers can have even lower
natural gas bills this winter. Furnace: A furnace is the largest
natural gas consumer, and makes up about 47 percent of your natural
gas bill. -- Lower your thermostat to 68 degrees when you're home
and 65 degrees when you're not. By lowering your thermostat 10 - 15
percent for eight hours a day, you can save up to 10 percent a year
on your heating costs. Installing a programmable thermostat can
help you automatically control your heat usage. Add on extra layers
of clothing to keep warm. -- Change your air filters monthly. A
dirty filter restricts airflow and can increase the operating cost
of your furnace by as much as 10 percent. A good reminder is to
change the filter each time you receive your natural gas bill.
Water heater: The water heater is the second-largest gas consuming
appliance making up about 43 percent of your bill. -- Set the water
heater temperature at 120 degrees and wrap water heater pipes.
Lowering the temperature to 120 degrees from 140 degrees and
insulating your pipes can save you up to 10 percent on your water
heating costs. Other appliances: Although they consume less natural
gas, you can still maximize their efficiency. -- Run your washing
machine, dish washer and gas dryer only with full loads. Make your
home more airtight and keep cold air outside: -- Seal leaks around
doors, windows and other openings such as pipes or ducts, with
caulk or weather-stripping. The most common places where air
escapes in homes are floors, walls, ceilings, ducts, fireplaces,
plumbing penetrations, doors, windows, fans, vents, and electrical
outlets. -- If it has been a while, consider adding more insulation
in your attic. -- On sunny days, open draperies and blinds to let
the sun's warmth in. Close them at night to insulate against the
cold air outside. Customers can also enroll in Average Monthly
Billing to spread their heating costs more evenly throughout the
year and avoid high winter bill peaks. Customers can learn more
ways to lower their gas consumption at
CenterPointEnergy.com/readyforwinter. CenterPoint Energy, Inc.,
headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery
company that includes electric transmission & distribution,
natural gas distribution, competitive natural gas sales and
services, interstate pipelines, and field services operations. The
company serves more than five million metered customers primarily
in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and
Texas. Assets total nearly $19 billion. With about 8,800 employees,
CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in
business for more than 135 years. For more information, visit the
Web site at http://www.centerpointenergy.com/. For more information
contact: Alicia Dixon Phone 713.207.5885 Pager 713.619.5143
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020930/CNPLOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
CONTACT: Alicia Dixon of CenterPoint Energy, Inc., +1-713-207-5885,
pager, +1-713-619-5143 Web Site: http://www.centerpointenergy.com/
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