The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved an agreement reached by parties in an electric-rate case filed by Union Electric Company d/b/a Ameren Missouri, which will reduce the Company’s revenues by approximately $32 million effective April 1.
A news release says under the agreement, electric rates for residential customers will drop by approximately 1.15 percent. The agreement approved by the Commission also keeps the current monthly customer charge for residential customers at $9 a month. When Ameren Missouri filed its electric-rate case with the commission on July 3, 2019, it sought to reduce electric revenues by approximately $800,000.
The agreement approved by the commission will provide new rate options for customers once they receive an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meter. Ameren Missouri is scheduled to begin implementation of the new AMI’s this summer. In addition, Ameren Missouri will be educating its customers regarding those rate choices once an AMI meter is installed.
According to the agreement, Ameren Missouri is to provide customers a notice of intent to install AMI meters at least 30 days prior to installation, and provide the customer with an opportunity to opt-out of installation. Under the agreement approved by the commission, a customer is to receive information regarding rate options available to them no later than the date their AMI meter is installed. Within six billing months after a customer receives an AMI meter, Ameren Missouri will communicate with the customer to educate the customer on what their bill would have been in prior billing periods under available rate options, and will shift the customer to being billed on the Daytime/Overnight rate going forward, unless the customer opts for another available rate option.
As of January 1, 2021, new customers or new accounts with an AMI meter will be placed directly on the Daytime/Overnight rate, but those customers will be informed of and have the option to request all other eligible rate options. Under the agreement, once a customer receives an AMI meter, they will also have the ability to choose an “EV Savers” or “Smart Savers” Time of Use (TOU) rate option.
In addition, Ameren Missouri is to develop an online neutral-rate comparison tool to show a customer their bill under each available rate option based on historical usage information, and will communicate to residential customers via their preferred communication method on how to access the rate comparison tool.
Under a separate agreement approved, Ameren Missouri will donate $7 million to the 14 consumer-action agencies in the state that administer low-income weatherization assistance programs in its service territory with an additional $500,000 to the consumer-action agency headquarters for a total of $7.5 million, to be spent on low-income weatherization or for assistance to low-income customers for such customers’ participation in Ameren Missouri’s energy efficiency programs. Ameren Missouri will also continue its Income-Eligible Weatherization Assistance Program and the total budget for Keeping Current will be increased from $1.3 million to $2 million.
Ameren Missouri provides electric service to approximately 1.28 million customers in Missouri.