CenterPoint customers to receive small bill credit beginning in March

Following the settlement of CenterPoint’s recent rate case, customers will see a small one-time credit on their monthly bill beginning in March.  

Back in November 2023, CenterPoint filed a petition with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to increase rates by $136.4 million over two years – an increase that would have raised average residential households’ annual bills by over $100. While the PUC reviewed CenterPoint’s request, the utility was granted an interim (temporary) rate increase, resulting in the average customer's bill increasing by roughly $6 per month beginning in January 2024 and extending throughout last year. The PUC is obligated by law to approve interim rate increases in most cases. 

Nevertheless, due to the advocacy of CUB and other parties, CenterPoint’s request to increase rates was cut nearly in half. Average annual bills will now increase by a little less than $50. This is slightly lower than the interim rates CenterPoint customers have been paying since January 2024. 

Beginning with gas bills issued March 1, existing residential customers will receive a one-time bill credit averaging just under $5 for the average household. Ratepayers who are due a refund but are no longer CenterPoint customers will receive a check. You can read more about CenterPoint’s plan to refund customers in this filing. The PUC still needs to formally approve CenterPoint’s settlement. Should the Commission adopt any changes to the settlement, the utility's plan for refunding customers may change. 

Relatedly, Xcel electric customers may have noticed an interim rate increase listed on their bill beginning in January 2025. Xcel recently filed another request to increase rates for electric service, and the average Xcel residential electric customer will see their rates go up by an average of $5.39 per month in 2025 while the rate case is being heard. If the rates ultimately approved by the Commission are less than the interim rate, customers will receive refunds for the difference. Read more about that here.