JACKSON — Due to rising natural gas costs and the end of the current fuel credit, customers of Entergy Mississippi Inc. will see a rate increase beginning in February. With the increase, the typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh will pay $99.28, or $7.00 more per month than current rates. The national average residential rate is $124.50, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The increase comes after 12 months of reduced rates due to unprecedented low natural gas prices which have helped keep Entergy’s rates far below the national average. Natural gas is used to generate electricity, and the fuel costs are passed through to customers dollar-for-dollar with no profit to the company.
“We had two significant rate decreases in 2016 because of lower-than-expected natural gas prices,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “Because of that, even with this increase, bills will remain lower than they were in January of last year.”
“We work hard to keep rates low by controlling costs where we can, and we encourage customers to keep their usage low by being more energy efficient,” he added.
Electric rates rise and fall year-to-year based on many factors. Electric bills are a combination of rates and usage. For tips on how to lower energy costs without sacrificing comfort, visit entergymississippi.com/loweryourbill.
