In a press release this week, the Public Service Commission announces approval of plans by Liberty Utilities which include a rate increase plus new options for customers to save money with selected energy usage.

The full release from the Missouri Public Service Commission is below:

Tariffs reflecting decisions in an electric rate case filed by The Empire District Electric Company d/b/a Liberty are scheduled to take effect on June 1, 2022. These tariffs reflect a March 9, 2022 order by the Public Service Commission which approved four unanimous agreements filed by parties in the Liberty electric rate case. Under those agreements, Liberty will increase annual electric revenues by approximately $35.5 million. 

It is estimated that a residential customer using approximately 1,000 kWh (1,000 kilowatthours) of electricity a month will see the current average monthly electric bill increase by about $10.00 a month. Under the agreements approved by the Commission, there will be no increase in the
residential monthly customer charge (currently $13.00 a month). 

The agreements transition most customers to rates that give customers a discount on energy consumed during “off-peak” hours of 10 pm to 6 am each day through the creation of default time-of-use rates. When Liberty transitions to default time-based rates in October, the way customers are
billed will change; providing customers with information to help them make choices about when to use energy that will incur lower system costs versus using energy that incurs increased system costs. 

The agreements also create time-of-use rate schedules as options for residential and small commercial customers. The optional time-of-use rate structures are designed to give customers more control over their monthly electric bill. Both default and optional time-based rates will become
available on October 15, 2022. Liberty will conduct a robust education program for its customers regarding the default and optional time-of-use rates. 

Also under the agreements approved, Liberty’s low-income pilot program will continue with the discount increasing to two times the customer charge during the peak heating months of December through February and peak cooling months of June through August. Liberty will also
establish a critical needs program and funding for the low-income weatherization program will more than double from $250,000 to $550,000 annually. 

Liberty serves approximately 155,400 electric customers in the Missouri counties of Barry, Barton, Cedar, Christian, Dade, Dallas, Greene, Hickory, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Polk, St. Clair, Stone and Taney.