Missouri Gas Customers to See Cheaper Winter Heating Bills?

Pinch me because I might be dreaming. There is confirmation that some Missouri gas customers will see cheaper winter heating bills and I'm as skeptical of this as you probably are.

I did a double-take when I was looking at the Missouri sub-Reddit and saw the phrase "winter heating will be much cheaper". Was this a cruel joke where you get a Rick Astley video if you click the link? Fortunately, no. It was a share of a new article by KSDK in St. Louis about a remarkable happening. It's a filing with the Public Service Commission of Missouri who just approved a rate reduction (yes, you read that right...reduction) for Spire Missouri Inc.

The document says the request is "a result of estimated changes in the cost of natural gas in its eastern Missouri operating division (Spire East) and its western Missouri operating division".

What is the real world difference Missouri customers will see on their monthly gas bill?

The filing says that western Missouri gas customers will see a drop of over $18 per month while eastern Missouri residents will save over $15 on average. It doesn't sound like a lot, but when you add up the 4 or 5 months of the year when many rely on gas for heating, that's not an insignificant savings.

The actual cost savings will depend on a lot on the weather and each individual customer's usage, but it's rare that I can share news about a Missouri utility bill that will be lower than normal. Remarkable, but good.