More than 600,000 Missourians will pay nearly 50% more to heat their homes this winter. The Public Service Commission has announced that Laclede Gas Company has filed natural gas rate increases of 46%. The PSC, which cannot regulate natural gas rates, says the steep rise reflects a jump in the wholesale cost of natural gas. Laclede is one of the last utilities to file its projected cost increase with the PSC. Other filings have reflected price hikes of between a low of 25% and a high of 93%.Laclede serves 631-Thousand customers in eastern Missouri, including the city of St. Louis.
