Electricity costs rise for some Arkansas utility, OG&E customers

Electricity costs rise for some Arkansas utility, OG&E customers
(Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Customers of four investor-owned electric utilities in Arkansas will have to pay more for their electricity.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports the utilities must file their energy cost-recovery rates by March 31 each year to recover the cost of fuel used to generate electricity, costs that are passed on to the consumer.
John Bethel of the Arkansas Public Service Commission says actual fuel costs were higher than those projected in last year’s rates, resulting in increased costs.
The increases will affect Entergy Arkansas, which has about 705,000 customers in Arkansas, Southwestern Electric Power Co., which has about 116,000 customers in western Arkansas, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co., which has about 66,000 customers in the Fort Smith area, and Empire District Electric Co., which has about 4,400 customers in northwestern Arkansas.