Electric rate plan changes coming for Evergy Missouri customers - KY3

Electric rate plan changes coming for Evergy Missouri customers

Time-based rates kick in late this year

OSCEOLA, Mo. (KY3) - This year, Missouri Public Service Commission regulators approved a change in electricity rates for customers who get their power from investor-owned utilities.

Liberty Utilities customers have seen these changes take effect last October, with Ameren customers in eastern Missouri seeing them come for 2023. Courtney Lewis, a spokesperson for Evergy, says Evergy Missouri customers will see time-based or time-of-use rates kick in starting this October.

“We have offered time-of-use plans to Missouri and Kansas customers on a volunteer basis before,” Lewis says. “With the order from the Missouri Public Service Commission, we know that customers will need some options on which rate plans to choose that works best for their families.”

Lewis and Evergy state that these time-based rates aim to match the costs customers pay with the actual cost to produce the electricity needed. As energy needs rise, the cost to generate that electricity also increases. When demand goes down, so do the prices to produce. The new plans for Evergy customers will have rates reflecting that trend.

Evergy customers are familiar with the standard tier plan and are charged a certain rate with their first allotment and another rate kicking in at the next tier each month. Lewis says that one of the new plans similar to the standard tier is called the Peak Reward Saver plan. This plan gives a set rate for most of the day with a slight increase in price between the peak hours of 4 and 8 pm. Overnight bill discount credits are given for electricity used overnights.

Standard Peak Saver, Nights and Weekends Saver, and Nights and Weekends Max Saver are the other three plans that Evergy customers can choose from. Customers that opt for the Standard Peak Saver Plan will see a set rate for much of the day, with increased rates during peak hours every weekday in the summer. For summer weekends and holidays, rates will drop to their lowest levels between midnight and 6 am. Non-summer weekdays will feature a steady rate throughout the entire day. The Nights and Weekends Saver Plans will have varying higher rates at peak hours and lower rates in off-peak hours every day throughout the whole year.

Lewis says that customers who haven’t decided on a new plan will automatically roll into the default Standard Peak Saver Plan beginning in October. Lewis also says these changes are meant to benefit the utility and the customers.

“When customers have the option to move to these four new plans, they will actually have some control over their bills,” Lewis said. “They can decide which rate plan works best for them, and they can see what kind of savings options kind of work within their day. We want to be sustainable and reliable for our customers also. If these plans can encourage customers to shift some usage from peak hours, that will help relieve some stress on the electric grid.”

Lewis encourages customers to give a new time-based plan a few months to see if it fits their home and lifestyle. If it doesn’t fit, customers can call Evergy or go online into their account and change their plan for the next billing cycle.

For customers currently enrolled in the Average Payment Plan, that option is still available for the new rate plans. They must contact Evergy to ensure it is added to their new rate plan. While more information will be mailed to Evergy customers over the next few weeks, more information about the new plans and comparison tools can be found on Evergy’s Time-Based Plans page. Additional ways to save on energy and costs can be found here. Customers with questions or assistance can contact Evergy’s special hotline at 1-800-541-0407 from 7 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday.

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