St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 22, 2014
Ameren Missouri customers will be paying a little more for electricity starting later this month.
The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved an increase in the surcharge customers pay to account for Ameren’s fuel and power purchases.
The fuel adjustment clause will rise by 66 cents a month to a total of $3.63 for a residential customer using 1,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month. The change will take effect May 27.
The Post-Dispatch reported Ameren’s request when it was filed in late March. Ameren said it expected to raise about $57 million from the charge, which it attributed to a cold winter that kept electricity demand higher than usual.
A 2005 law allows utilities to bill customers for changes in fuel costs without waiting for their next general rate case. Ameren typically asks for adjustments three times a year, and sometimes bills decrease if the utility pays less for fuel.