Ameren Missouri gas rates set to rise in September

By: Kris Sand, Columbia Missourian
The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved new rates for Ameren’s gas customers, adding around 12%, or $13, to the average customer’s monthly bills.

John Coffman, a lawyer for the Consumers Council of Missouri, said rate increases are outpacing both inflation and wage growth.
“We believe that these increases are fueling inflation generally in the state because almost every other sector of the economy and virtually every household … has to pay these utility bills,” he said.

However, Ameren Missouri Director of Regulatory Affairs Steven Wills said the rate hike is vital for Ameren to recover lost profits.

“In order to have a financially sound utility that’s going to be there to provide service to our customers and be able to make the investments to keep that system reliable for customers, we have to … recover some of those higher costs,” Wills said.

Ameren officials said the new rates will help maintain system reliability, but advocates such as the Consumers Council, AARP, and Missouri Industrial Energy Consumers warn that added costs could be a strain on households. Residents should see the price hike starting Sept. 1.

Information on financial relief can be found at Ameren’s website.