When Opp residents receive their April power bills, they should see nearly $20 in savings.

With the cost of natural gas down to $2.90 per gallon, Opp Utility board member Jimmy Rogers asked Mayor H.D. Edgar if it would be possible for local customers to see “some sort of relief in their fuel adjustment charge.”

“I have had Stacy (Parker) working on these rates,” Edgar said. “I’d like to present it today (Tuesday). We’ve been talking about it, and I think we can do it.”

Parker said he looked at the last 12 months to see what kind of help the board could give its customers.

Currently, customers pay 5.2 mills per kilowatt-hour, which equates to $3.6 million in revenues for the board.

It was suggested that the board reduce the amount paid to 3.5 mills per kilowatt-hour, which equates to $2.4 million in revenues for the board.

“This will save the customer quite a bit of money,” Parker said. “PowerSouth likes to use 1,150 kilowatt hours to determine samples. I used the same.”

Using that formula, Parker estimates that it will save the customer nearly $20 for every 1,150 kilowatt hours used.

“This should not hurt the utilities,” Rogers said.

Parker reminded the board and customers that if natural gas prices begin to surge again, they would have to follow whatever PowerSouth does, since they purchase electricity from the generation and transmission facility.

“This could change next winter,” said board member Skip Spurlin. “We’ll have to look at it again.”

“It will be good while it lasts,” board member Charles Willis said.

Parker also told the board the $17.50 “meter” charge the utilities board charges each month for residential customers ranks eighth lowest out 20 of in PowerSouth’s member systems.