The typical residential customer using an average of 1,250 kilowatt hours will pay $144.95, down from $151.66 under existing rates. That represents a 4.4 per cent reduction for residential customers using that quantity of power.

Since August, Nevada Power has been adjusting rates every three months to compensate for changes in costs of fuel used for generating electricity and changes in the costs of purchased power. Since then, the company has lowered rates by $35.5 million or 1.4 percent to reflect lower costs for fuel and purchased power.

The quarterly changes avoid big swings in electric rates, which resulted from allowing past costs to pile up and accrue interest before yearly adjustments.

Nevada Power still makes annual adjustments, like this one, but the percentage of increases and decreases are lower.

Contact reporter John G. Edwards at jedwards@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0420.