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Xcel Energy offers online payment option

DENVER - Residential customers of Xcel Energy may now view and pay their monthly energy bills online, free of charge, through the company’s website, www.xcelenergy.com. This payment option is powered by a partnership between Xcel Energy and CheckFree, one of the nation’s largest providers of electronic billing and payment services.

“The online view and pay option enables customers to review their bill summary online and schedule payments at that time, without the additional time and expense that can come from using the traditional paper process,” said Debbie Mukherjee, product portfolio manager for Xcel Energy.

To use the system, participants must first enroll with CheckFree (www.mycheckfree.com) before they can view and pay their bills online. Customers may then access the Xcel Energy website, choose the “Residential” customer option, enter their zip code, and then select “payment options.” As customers pay their bills online, they will build their statement and payment history online as well.

If customers are already online with CheckFree, or at any one of over 1,300 financial institutions or Internet portals that offer CheckFree’s services, then they may only need to add Xcel Energy as a payee and/or biller. Payments will be debited the usual way from their bank account. Customers can schedule payments ahead of time – as far as one year in advance – or up to two business days prior to the due date.

Other online payment options are available and, like Xcel Energy’s Online View & Pay, these options are free to the customer. If customers are signed up for automatic deduction through PaySmart from Xcel Energy they can also use the new online service to view bill summary information.

Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company with regulated operations in 11 Western and Midwestern states. Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.3 million electricity customers and 1.8 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies. In terms of customers, it is the fourth-largest combination natural gas and electricity company in the nation. Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis. More information is available at www.xcelenergy.com.

Founded in 1981, CheckFree Corporation (Nasdaq: CKFR) provides financial electronic commerce services and products to organizations around the world. CheckFree Electronic Commerce solutions enable thousands of financial services providers and billers to offer their customers the convenience of receiving and paying their household bills online or in person through retail outlets. CheckFree Investment Services provides a broad range of investment management solutions and outsourced services to thousands of financial services organizations, which manage more than $900 billion in assets. CheckFree Software develops, markets and supports software applications that are used by financial institutions to process more than two-thirds of the 10 billion Automated Clearing House transactions in the United States. The division also provides global trade processing, reconciliation, financial messaging, compliance and electronic billing and statement software to thousands of organizations across the globe. More information about CheckFree is available at www.checkfreecorp.com.