Ameren Missouri’s Natural Gas Rates Increase

The Missouri Public Service Commission on Oct. 29 announced changes to Ameren Missouri’s wholesale cost of natural gas as well as a cost adjustment, which will result in a rate increase of about $0.03 per hundred cubic feet of gas effective Nov. 1.

At present, residential customers pay approximately $0.35 per hundred cubic feet of natural gas, whereas the change shall see this rate rise to $0.38 per hundred cubic feet.

The Actual Cost Adjustment factor is used to track any over-collection or under-collection  of natural gas costs over a year with the purpose of refunding or collecting the difference in the following  year.

The wholesale cost, which local gas companies including Ameren pay to suppliers, is unregulated and depends on supply, demand, and weather conditions and irregularities. Typically, 50 to 55 percent of customers’ current gas bills are reflective of these wholesale costs. The commission conducts an annual regulatory review to ensure integrity in the relationships between local suppliers and wholesale gas sellers.

Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation, serves over 132,300 customers across 27 counties within the state.