On Your Side: Spire seeks a rate increase of up to 11%; how you can weigh in

WILLARD, Mo. (KY3) - Spire customers in southwest Missouri could pay more for natural gas if state regulators approve the company’s request for a rate increase.

Spire says the proposal, if approved as filed, would raise the average residential bill in western Missouri by about $10 a month, or 11%, assuming current natural gas market conditions. Actual bills depend on usage and other factors.

The company, which says it serves more than 1.2 million customers in Missouri, filed its request with the Missouri Public Service Commission on Nov. 2. It seeks a net increase of approximately $208.56 million in annual base-rate revenue.

Spire says the request would support continued investments in its natural gas system, including modernization and upgrades intended to improve safety and reliability.

Customer Jodi Beckett uses Spire’s level-pay plan to help manage her family’s natural gas bills. She also watches how much gas her family uses and says she may need to cut back even more.

“If I see one month that it’s going up a little bit more, we have more usage, I will be careful and we’ll kind of cut back,” Beckett said.

The Public Service Commission will review the proposal before deciding whether to approve a rate change. The increase is not guaranteed. The commission typically has 11 months from the filing date to make a decision.

“This is definitely not a rubber stamp process,” said Sarah Fontaine with the commission. “It is a process that there’s a lot of thought that goes into it, a lot of digging into the company’s books and records and trying to strike that fair balance.”

Fontaine said the commission’s staff, including engineers, auditors and economists, will investigate the information Spire provided. She said the company has the burden of proving its request is justified.

The Consumers Council of Missouri is also watching the case. Executive Director Ed Bryant said the organization typically participates on behalf of customers to ensure investor-owned utilities can justify proposed increases.

Bryant said the organization is concerned about what customers could be asked to pay.

“What Spire is saying is that when they do that, they dip into our profits,” Bryant said. “It’s time for us to kind of dig down and really try to make sure that Spire and Ameren and Evergy and all these investor-owned utilities pay their fair share, you know, provide the products and things that we need, but also do it in a way that’s equitable for everybody.”

Beckett is not optimistic that her rates will stay the same.

“As far as the consumer, I don’t think it’s going to matter,” Beckett said. “I feel like that once it goes to the board and it gets that far, it’s just going to happen.”

How to weigh in

The commission says local public hearings will be scheduled, but dates had not been announced as of Nov. 6. Customers can also submit comments to the commission and reference case GR-2027-0075:

• Online: Submit a comment
• Email: pscinfo@psc.mo.gov
• Phone: 800-392-4211
• Mail: Missouri Public Service Commission, P.O. Box 360, Jefferson City, MO 65102

The deadline to apply to formally intervene in the case is Nov. 23, 2026. Formal intervention is separate from submitting a public comment.

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