Falling natural gas prices mean 19% lower gas bills for CenterPoint Energy customers in Arkansas

HOUSTON, Oct. 30, 2015  /PRNewswire/ -- CenterPoint Energy (NYSE: CNP) is decreasing the gas supply rate (GSR) portion of Arkansas customers' natural gas bills beginning with next month's natural gas bill due to falling natural gas prices.

The adjustment will lower a November Arkansas residential gas bill using 100 Ccf (hundred cubic feet) of natural gas by about 19 percent compared to last year. This means a bill that was $109.12 last November will be $88.09 next month. Actual bills will vary depending on how much natural gas individual customers use.

This is the second natural gas cost decrease the company has passed on to customers this year. The first was a 14 percent decrease in April bills compared to April 2014. CenterPoint Energy passes on the cost of natural gas through the GSR with no markup.

"The price we pay to purchase natural gas for our customers' use has continued to drop in the last several months and these affordable prices make natural gas a smart choice for the home, the budget and the environment," said Walter Bryant, vice president of Gas Operations in Arkansas. "This is great news for our customers as we go into the heating season and the upcoming holidays when families entertain and cook more in their natural-gas fueled kitchens. We're happy to be passing another decrease in our natural gas supply costs on to them."

This adjustment does not change the base rate portion of a customer bill, which covers the cost of distributing natural gas including the investments CenterPoint Energy makes in its gas distribution system.

"We are continuing to make significant investments, such as our ongoing pipeline replacement programs throughout Arkansas, to maintain the safety and reliability of our natural gas system and benefit our customers and communities," added Bryant.

More details about the benefits of natural gas are available at CenterPointEnergy.com/GasIsBetter.

CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes electric transmission & distribution, natural gas distribution and energy services operations. The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. The company also owns a 55.4 percent limited partner interest in Enable Midstream Partners, a publicly traded master limited partnership it jointly controls with OGE Energy Corp., which owns, operates and develops natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With more than 7,400 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 140 years. For more information, visit the website at www.CenterPointEnergy.com.

For more information contact Media: Alicia Dixon Phone 713.825.9107 alicia.dixon@centerpointenergy.com

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SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc.