A proposal to hike rates by Missouri Gas Energy (MGE) of Kansas City, MO, also includes incentives to encourage energy efficiency among consumers and options for the financing of energy-efficient appliances, the Laclede Gas Co. utility said.

The appliance financing program is Laclede’s EnergyWise program, which has been offered previously by utility Laclede Gas, where it has supported the purchase of more than $16 million worth of energy-efficient appliances, Laclede said. MGE recently became a part of Laclede (see Daily GPI,Sept. 4).

MGE proposes to hike the distribution component of its rates so that the typical residential customer would see a net increase of $2.33 per month. The proposed rates would provide net additional revenues of $17 million. “On an inflation-adjusted basis, customers would still be paying less for natural gas service than they paid a decade ago,” the utility said. The Missouri Public Service Commission may take up to 11 months to resolve the case, so any consumer impact likely won’t occur until after the upcoming heating season.

“While filing to recover upgrades is the primary driver on timing, costs included in the general rate case are also related to the general operation of our business in western Missouri,” said Steve Lindsey, president of Laclede Gas Company.

MGE operates and maintains more than 14,000 miles of pipeline. Due to historically low natural gas prices, MGE filed to decrease the commodity portion of customer bills last April by $2.66 per month based on average customer usage.