Consumers Council of Missouri applauds members of the Missouri Senate from both sides of the aisle who acted on April 8th, 2026, to pass three pro-consumer amendments that can reduce the size of anticipated utility rate increases and protect property rights.
Have you ever noticed the large Spire metal covers embedded in the streets around your neighborhood? These markers often signal ongoing upgrades to underground gas infrastructure.
Under Missouri law, gas and electric utilities are allowed to recover the costs of infrastructure improvements, primarily pipeline replacements, outside of traditional rate cases. This process accelerates system upgrades, but results in extra surcharges that hike gas and water rates higher than necessary. Consumers Council believes that these accelerated surcharges can lead to uneconomic practices, and threaten the affordability of our utility bills. ISRS and WSIRA surcharges are approved without the same level of detailed review and public scrutiny that are required in normal rate cases at the Public Service Commission.
Over time, these costs can add up significantly for consumers.
Explore Consumers Council of Missouri’s latest report to better understand how gas and water infrastructure investments are impacting utility bills across the state.
For Immediate Release
ST. LOUIS, MO — After four years of exemplary leadership, Sandra Padgett has announced retirement from Consumers Council of Missouri (CCM) on March 31, 2026. She will be succeeded by Edward L. Bryant who was selected by the Board of Directors through a search process that began in December, 2025.
CCM Board president Jeanette Mott Oxford said, “Padgett has been a transformational leader for Consumers Council of Missouri, and we are thankful for her amazing service as our executive director. She has brought us farther than we dared to envision four years ago, and we will remain forever in her debt.”
Padgett, an MSW and attorney, oversaw successful grant writing and fundraising campaigns that allowed CCM to add staff members and consumer protection projects responsive to emerging crises in Missouri. She also guided CCM’s work on the St. Louis Water Affordability Project and oversaw publication of a January 2026 report covering 2020-2025 that demonstrated that utility rates in MO are rising faster than national inflation and Missouri job wage growth.
Bryant has two decades of experience in government relations and community engagement work, including four years as Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement at the United Way of Greater St. Louis. Most recently he was Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at Heartland Coca-Cola. He has also served on boards of many of the most impactful not-for-profits in the St. Louis Region and was a fellow in the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative Leadership Development Fellows Program.
CCM Board vice president Shawna Collier said, “Due to our unwavering commitment to Missouri’s vulnerable households, we must expand our reach and impact as a truly statewide entity. We believe Mr. Bryant will work with our board to strengthen our infrastructure, deepen partnerships, and align our programs for current demands, expanding our ability to achieve our vital mission.” Founded in 1971, CCM advocates for consumers’ interests locally, regionally, statewide and nationally by organizing consumers and educating policy.
On February 27, 2026, Consumers Council filed a proposed rule to create a special alternative rate or bill discount, based in part on household utility burden, for low income customers of investor-owned gas, water, and electric utilities. Utility burden is the percentage of income a household spends on electricity, natural gas, or water service. This proposed rule is authorized by a new Missouri statute (See Section 393.1680 RSMO).
Establishing a low-income assistance program is critical to ensuring that rates remain affordable for Missourians with the least ability to absorb rising costs. From 2020 to 2025, bills from Ameren and Spire rose faster than Missouri wage growth and faster than inflation. And Senate Bill 4 (Missouri 2025) is projected to add an extra $1,115 annually to the utility bills for the average residential household when fully implemented.
Consumers Council has requested a workshop to develop a consensus version of the Section 393.1680 rule. Interested parties are encouraged to review and submit comments in Missouri Public Service Commission docket OW-2026-0085.
According to a report issued by Synapse Energy, Ameren and Spire customers have experienced significant recent increases in their utility bills, outpacing both national inflation (25.4%) and Missouri average weekly wage growth (32%). This report focuses on the years 2020 – 2025.
Ameren Missouri customers saw major electricity bill increases that outpaced both inflation and wage growth.
• Average summer bills rose 34.3%
• Average winter bills rose 32.9%
These increases are not driven by fuel costs. Ameren’s fuel charge has stayed relatively steady. Higher rates tied to infrastructure investments were the main driver.
Spire Missouri customers faced even steeper increases in natural gas bills.
• Spire West winter bills rose 95.1% for a typical household using 120 ccf
• Spire East winter bills rose 60.8% for the same usage
Winter gas bills rose far more than summer bills because gas is mainly used for home heating.
Read the full report here: MO IOU Rate Analysis 2025
Please join Consumers Council on Thursday, January 22, 2026, for a webinar on upcoming state legislation affecting utilities. This session will provide an overview of key 2026 legislative proposals, with a focus on how critical utility policies impact consumers across Missouri.
Date and Time: January 22, 2026 at 12:00 noon Central Time
Location: Zoom — All registrants will receive a Zoom link upon registration for this event.
Cost: There is no charge for this event.
If you would like to become a member of Consumers Council for only $10, or donate to our organization, please CLICK HERE.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ST. LOUIS, MO – The Consumers Council of Missouri (CCM) applauds Spire for its proactive and visible promotion of the DollarHelp program – an essential resource that supports Missouri households struggling to keep up with gas bills. By actively encouraging donations, Spire helps ensure that community contributions fill critical gaps in winter heating assistance when other funding sources fall short.
“Spire’s commitment to making DollarHelp more widely known is a model for Ameren and Missouri American Water,” said Sandra Padgett, Executive Director of the Consumers Council of Missouri. “When people know how to donate to help their neighbors, fewer families face the threat of shutoffs, and more can keep their homes heated during the winter.”
CCM urges Ameren Missouri and Missouri American Water to follow Spire’s lead by more prominently promoting contributions to their own voluntary donation-based customer assistance programs:
“Many community supporters simply don’t know about Ameren’s Dollar More and Missouri American Water’s H2O Help programs,” Ms. Padgett noted. “By more openly and consistently marketing these resources, utilities can make it easier for Missourians who want to help their neighbors to know where to donate.” CCM calls on all Missouri utilities to recognize the importance of accessible, well-publicized consumer assistance programs. Greater visibility not only supports families in crisis but also strengthens our community by ensuring that no household is left behind when temperatures drop.
Contact:
Sandra Padgett, Executive Director, Consumers Council of MO
314-323-8760
spadgett@moconsumers.org
St. Louis, MO November 12, 2025
Consumers Council of Missouri was proud to participate in a meaningful and well-attended Communities First STL meeting in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Communities First serves as one of our advisory groups and plays an important role in guiding our community engagement and advocacy work across St. Louis.
The meeting was facilitated by Antonio Weston, Community Engagement Coordinator and Social Media Lead for Consumers Council of Missouri. Spencer Gould, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, along with the billing manager and representatives from St. Louis City Water, joined residents to share updates on the city’s water assistance program, lead service line inventory, and available payment plan options through the Collector of Revenue’s Office.
More than 30 residents took part in an open and energetic conversation. Community members raised thoughtful questions about water service and affordability, and Spencer Gould provided clear, detailed responses. Additional perspectives and support were offered by Alderman Rasheen Aldridge and John Coffman, Legal Counsel for Consumers Council of Missouri.
This meeting reflects CCM’s commitment to showing up for communities and ensuring residents have access to accurate information, meaningful dialogue, and opportunities to shape the policies that affect their daily lives.
Consumers Council of Missouri will continue working to level the playing field for all Missouri consumers.
St. Louis City Water Assistance Application: https://shorturl.at/pKUdF
Photos from the event:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ST. LOUIS, MO – In October 2025, Ameren disconnected 17,347 Missouri households for non-payment, representing approximately 1.6% of all Ameren customers, or roughly one in every 63 households. This marks the highest number of monthly disconnections reported by any utility since Missouri’s new utility reporting rule took effect in March 2024. The October disconnections also raise the total number of Ameren disconnections in 2025 to 87,664 households.
Currently, 219,375 Ameren customers, 20% of all households in its service area, are behind on their bills, with a combined $47.9 million in overdue payments.
“Missouri families are struggling. Households depend on electricity for items essential to daily living such as lighting, heating, refrigeration, cooking, and internet access.” said Sandra Padgett, Executive Director of the Consumers Council of Missouri. “Now more than ever, we need a low-income utility rate in Missouri to protect those who are unable to keep up.”
Rising utility rates have pushed many Missouri households to the breaking point:
A recently enacted Missouri law allows the Missouri Public Service Commission to establish a low-income utility rate or bill discount, based in part on “energy burden,” to help keep essential utilities affordable and reduce the risk of disconnections.
“The data is clear. Without policy action, tens of thousands more Missouri families will continue to face shutoffs,” Padgett said. “An affordable rate for low-income households is not just necessary – it’s overdue.”
Contact:
Sandra Padgett, Executive Director, Consumers Council of MO
314-323-8760
spadgett@moconsumers.org
St. Louis, MO November 12, 2025
In June 2024, Consumers Council of Missouri launched a three-year initiative (2024–2027) funded by Missouri Foundation for Health to assess water affordability in the City of St. Louis.
Unlike many cities across the country, St. Louis does not use individual water meters for most households. Instead, residents are billed a flat rate based on the physical attributes of their homes, such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and the frontage of their lot. This approach often results in water bills that do not reflect actual usage. It also impacts sewer bills, since the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) applies the same flat-rate formula to determine sewer charges in the absence of metered water use.
Consumers Council is working with water affordability experts to analyze data obtained from the City of St. Louis and develop community-driven solutions for residents struggling to pay their water and sewer bills. At the same time, we are engaging directly with community advisory groups to both share information about water costs and hear firsthand about the challenges households face.
Our community advisory groups include Hyde Park, Lewis Place–Fountain Park, and Southside Wellness. We have also met with neighborhood associations and advocacy partners such as Vandeventer II, Missouri Coalition of the Environment, Kingsville Corp., and others who share a commitment to making water more affordable and accessible.
Funding through the grant allowed Consumers Council to add a Community Engagement and Social Media Coordinator, Antonio Weston, who is leading on-the-ground engagement and helping ensure that resident voices shape this work.
Through this initiative, Consumers Council is building the foundation for policies that ensure water affordability, fairness, and sustainability for St. Louis City residents.
