Ameren Missouri customers can weigh in on a proposed rate increase at public hearings starting next week.
The electric utility has asked Missouri regulators to approve a 15% rate increase, or an estimated $17 per month for the average customer.
Advocates and consumers are pushing back against the proposed increase. An Ameren representative said it is necessary to pay for infrastructure upgrades the company has already made.
“Those investments are delivering great benefits for customers in terms of improving reliability and being able to manage many of the severe weather events we've been seeing,” said Warren Wood, Ameren Missouri’s regulatory vice president.
For example, Wood said the company is putting in stronger poles that can withstand higher winds in severe storms. It has also upgraded outage equipment to restore power more quickly, and Ameren recently brought three new solar facilities online.
Multiple organizations are speaking out against the increase, including the Consumers Council of Missouri, which works to keep utilities affordable and is an intervener in the rate case. Director of Advocacy Jacqueline Hutchinson has submitted testimony to call attention to how the increase could adversely affect people with low and moderate incomes.
“[Ameren] just had an increase two years ago, and during this time, when the price of everything is going up, people really cannot afford another increase in their utility bills,” Hutchinson said.
In addition to the public hearings, customers can submit comments about the rate increase online. There are already more than 300 comments, many from people who say they will not be able to afford the increase.
“I beg you — please DO NOT allow for Ameren’s rate increase,” wrote one St. Louisan in November. “At close to $200 a month, this is my highest utility bill. I am a single mother and I am already scraping by. My wages stay the same and do not increase, making it impossible to pay exorbitant costs of utilities and bills.”
Ameren rates have increased faster than inflation, according to a report commissioned by the Consumers Council and compiled by Strategen Consulting. The group found summer and winter bills rose about 20% from 2020 to 2023; during the same time period, inflation was 18.62%. Infrastructure investments seemed to be the main factor driving up costs, the report said.
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But Wood contends that Ameren’s electric rates are still more affordable than average rates in the Midwest and across the country, citing Edison Electric Institute, a trade association that represents utility companies. The institute said Ameren Missouri residential rates are 24% below the Midwest average and 29% below U.S. average.
There are signs that electricity is unaffordable for many of Ameren’s customers, said Jonathan Kim, a research associate at the Energy and Policy Institute, a utility and fossil fuel industry watchdog organization.
Data that Kim obtained from Missouri’s Public Service Commission shows between 15% and 20% of Ameren customers were behind on their bills for most of 2024. The energy company increased its disconnections in the late summer and early fall. In October, Ameren shut off power for more than 17,000 customers who owed money on their bills.
“We sort of see both this increasing energy insecurity challenge with disconnections, in tandem with increasing rates,” Kim said. “That's a formula for not a great outcome for consumers.”
Wood said there is assistance available for people who are struggling to pay their electric bills. Customers can call 800-552-7583 or go to Ameren’s website.
“If somebody needs help, please reach out,” Wood said. “There's an unprecedented level of energy assistance available. There's a number of new programs. There's expanded eligibility.”
The number of disconnections fell to its lowest point since March in November — at the same time, Kim’s data shows Ameren had a new high number of customers on a payment plan.
Hutchinson, the advocate, is calling on Ameren customers to make their thoughts on the potential increase known.
“Everyone who pays a utility bill has an opportunity to show up at the public hearings and talk about how that will impact their families,” she said. “We'd like to see the rooms packed.”
If approved, the rate increase would go into effect in the middle of this year. The schedule for the hearings can be found on Ameren’s website and below.
Public hearings
St. Louis area
6 p.m. Jan. 22
St. Louis Community College-Forest Park, Student Center cafeteria, 5600 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110
Noon Jan. 22
St. Charles County Administration Building, Room 116, 201 N. Second St., St. Charles, MO 63301
6 p.m. Jan. 22
St. Louis Community College-Forest Park, Student Center cafeteria, 5600 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110
Noon Jan. 27
Sunset Hills Council Chambers, 3939 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63127
Outside St. Louis
6 p.m. Jan. 21
Osage Centre, Room 1AB, 1625 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Noon Jan. 23
Governor Office Building, Room 310, 200 Madison St., Jefferson City, MO 65101
Virtual
6 p.m. Jan. 23
Call 855-718-6621 or go to webex.com and enter meeting number/access code 2630 871 4245, password 0319
Noon Jan. 24
Call 855-718-6621 or go to webex.com and enter meeting number/access code 2867 125 9125, password 0319
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