ST. LOUIS – Your natural gas bill could be on the rise next year. Spire Missouri, a natural gas provider in the St. Louis area, has submitted a proposal to increase its delivery rates next year, pending state approval.
The proposal comes just weeks after Spire announced plans to lower gas bills for St. Louis area customers on average by 16%, due to a reduction in the costs of natural gas made available to customers.
Spire bills account for two key components: The costs of delivering natural gas to homes and the cost of the natural gas itself. In a Nov. 26 news release, Spire says a rate increase for delivery services would help the company “recover infrastructure and technology upgrade investments made to better serve customers.”
If approved, the proposal to increase delivery rates would increase monthly bills by around $17, or roughly 16%, compared to current rates. Essentially, the proposed change would make the final costs of monthly bills similar to what customers paid in 2024.
Spire formally filed a request with the Missouri Public Service Commission on Nov. 25. When the commission considers rate increases, it usually takes around 11 months from the date the requests were submitted to move forward with a decision. The process usually involves some combination of extensive reviews, stakeholder consultations, and public hearings.
“We’re committed to safely delivering reliable and efficient natural gas service to more than 1.2 million homes and businesses in Missouri and doing so in the most affordable way for our customers,” said Steve Mills, Spire Missouri president via the aforementioned news release.
Spire serves 1.7 million homes across three states, including tens of thousands of customers across the St. Louis region.
When Spire announced bill reductions earlier in November, company officials told FOX 2 that the adjustment reflected lower gas prices and the recovery of deferred costs from 2021 winter storms.