Spire warns customers to expect higher gas bills after cold stretch

ST. LOUIS – Below-freezing temperatures, snow, and ice have all played a role in our weather story to start the new year. Jason Merrill with Spire Missouri says staying warm inside during a cold stretch can come with a cold, hard truth when your utility bill arrives.

“We want to make sure customers aren’t surprised when they get their bill. When it’s 60 degrees outside, you can forget just how cold it was a few weeks ago,” he said. “That cold weather can have a significant impact on people’s bills.”

Merrill says it’s difficult to say how much higher on average your next gas bill might be, but he encourages customers to consider changing the way they’re billed.

“Budget billing can be something for a lot of customers that can be beneficial, where you don’t have that fluctuation month to month,” he said.

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Merrill reminds customers that there’s help available.

“We do recognize that a lot of customers are struggling. For those who are, we do encourage them to reach out,” he said. “We have assistance programs that can help customers. We do have a weatherization program. If you contact 2-1-1 through the United Way, we do have programs that can help those who qualify.”

If there’s any silver lining, Merrill tells us the additional costs incurred after winter storm Uri in 2021 should be lessened later this year in a purchase gas adjustment.

“We would be hopeful come next November it would be a lower PGA cost for customers and that would be a lower bill coming for future winter heating seasons,” Merrill said.

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