NV Energy power rates heading lower next year

NV Energy intends to reduce rates for all customers nearly 5 percent effective Jan. 1, 2016, according to a government rate filing it announced Monday.

The utility made the filing with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada on Friday, saying in the subsequent company announcement it would reflect reductions in costs associated with fuel and purchased power the firm used to provide both electricity and gas service.

“The filing will result in an overall electric rate decrease of 4.97 percent that will be passed through to all northern Nevada residential, commercial and industrial electric customers,” the utility said in a news release. “Natural gas residential, commercial and industrial customers will see an overall gas rate decrease of 4.7 percent.”

The utility said it amounts to the third consecutive rate decrease since mid-year 2015.

A typical Northern Nevada single-family residential electricity customer’s bill, based on average use of 758 kilowatt hours monthly, will mean a drop of $3.61 from $85.78. That represents a drop to such a customer of 4.2 percent. A single-family natural gas customer bill of $49.28, based on average use of 55 therms per month, will drop $2.22, or 4.5 percent, if using NV Energy as a gas provider.

NV Energy, Inc., provides a wide range of energy services to 1.3 million customers across the state. It’s a holding company with subsidiaries called Nevada Power Co, and Sierra Pacific Power Co. doing business as NV Energy.