Nevada power companies get rate increase

Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001 | 9:58 a.m.

The average Nevada Power Co. residential customer should see rates increase 49 cents a month.

The average residential customer of Reno-based Sierra Pacific Power Co. should see an increase of 53 cents a month.

Sonya Headen, spokeswoman for the Las Vegas-based-Nevada Power, said the rate hike approved Thursday was provided for in an August agreement letting the electric companies increase rates $48 million, but incrementally and with month-by-month reviews by the utilities commission.

The settlement involved the commission, the utilities' parent company, Sierra Pacific Resources, the state consumer advocate and large businesses. It runs through February 2003.

While residential customer rates in February will rise 0.54 percent, most commercial customers will pay 0.74 percent more than before, the PUC said. The new rates kick in Thursday.

The latest change results in a 12 percent cumulative increase for residential customers since the settlement.

The typical residential customer using 1,100 kilowatt hours of electricity now pays $9.17 more per month than before the settlement.

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