Spire gas bills rising as Winter approaches: Here’s why

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) — St. Louis residents will soon be paying more for their natural gas.

Dollie Nesbitt says she had no idea about a rate increase for her gas.

“No, but I’ve heard about Ameren’s that I am constantly dealing with right now,” she said.

For the St. Louis resident, her silence speaks volumes. The average Spire customer pays 70 to 90 dollars a month. Spire Missouri says that will mean an additional $8 to $10 increase on their customer bill, or about a 10 percent increase on their bill. The company says this is the first rate increase in over 3 years.

“We do understand that some of the utilities in the state have increased their rates at the same time, and so we keep that in mind,” said David Yonce with Spire Missouri.

But the biggest question for Spire customers is why?

“We have to invest in our infrastructure in order to provide safe and reliable service, and so the primary driver for this increase in this rate case is the capital, the investment in our system to provide safe and reliable service to our customers,” Yonce said.

While Nesbitt appreciates the work Spire is doing, she says it feels like yet another expensive bill, and the change is coming October 24 — right around the time she says she starts using her furnace.

“We’re paying 6 dollars, almost 6 dollars for a dozen of eggs. What are you thinking?” Nesbitt said.

This increase comes after a request was approved for Ameren to do the same for their gas customers starting September 1st, wanting to use the money for infrastructure replacements.

Spire says that bills will still be less than they were last year as natural gas prices are decreasing, but they also decreased bills by around 15 dollars for the average customer at the end of 2024. If you find yourself struggling to pay your bill, there will be a program for eligible families to waive the 22 dollar customer charge.

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