Northwestern Energy predicts electricity bills for its residential customers will decrease by $3.10 per month starting in July.
Northwestern spokesman Butch Larcombe says a couple of different factors are at play."The market price for electricity’s been stable, also the fact that we own more of our generating facilities. I think that's been the biggest change. I think that's something our Montana customers - and we have about 350,000 of them on the electric side - are going to benefit from for years to come."
NorthWestern bought 11 hydroelectric facilities from PPL Montana last November for $900-million. Its customer-base was going to help finance the purchase with slightly higher rates.
"They did go up a little bit starting in December, but this decrease offsets that a little bit. It was a four to five dollar increase with the dams purchase. Now we're looking at a little more than about a three dollar-per-month decrease. That makes the dams a little bit better deal."
Northwestern made its rate prediction in its annual supply cost report filed with the Montana Public Service commission.