Natural gas rates will rise for Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- AmerenUE customers in central Missouri will pay about $64 more on average for their natural gas this winter, the Public Service Commission said Thursday. Their rate will go from 71.8 cents to 79 cents per 100 cubic feet.

The new rates are largely supposed to account for changes in the cost of natural gas for the winter season and will take effect Monday.

That rate affects AmerenUE's 92,000 customers in Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Lincoln, Miller, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, Pike, Ralls, Randolph, Saline, St. Charles and Warren counties.

AmerenUE's 20,000 customers in Cape Girardeau, Scott and Stoddard counties will see rates rise by $85 for the winter for the average resident. The rate per 100 cubic feet of gas is rising from 79.4 to 89 cents.

AmerenUE's 4,300 customers in Phelps County will see natural gas bills rise on average by $81 for the winter, while its 2,000 customers in Bollinger, Butler and Stoddard counties will see rates decline, amounting to a savings of $107 on average.

Atmos Energy Corp.'s southeast Missouri customers will see rates rise about 7.3 cents per 100 cubic feet of gas, meaning winter bills will go up about $65 for typical residents, the commission said.

The company has 34,500 customers in Cape Girardeau, Dunklin, Iron, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Ripley, Scott, Stoddard and Wayne counties.

Smaller pockets of Atmos Energy customers in other parts of the state will see rate changes ranging from average residential bills increasing by $186 to dropping by $112.

Missouri Gas Energy customers will see their natural gas bills rise by about $110 on average for the winter, the commission said.

The Missouri Gas Energy rate will increase from 75.1 to 87.5 cents per 100 cubic feet of gas, which for a typical residential customer amounts to $110 from November through March, the commission said. The company has 506,400 natural gas customers in western Missouri.

Also, the 1,200 Fidelity Natural Gas customers in Sullivan will see rates rise by about $86 on average this winter, the commission said.

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PSC: http://www.psc.state.mo.us