Peoria Standard

Illinois citizens will now have to pay more to keep their lights on as the electric rates of Ameren soar.

On Jun. 16, Sen. Jason Barickman provided info regarding revised electric rates and warned customers about a possible increase in their bills.

"In April of this year, Ameren electric received electric rate results from the regional grid operator (MISO), which include an increase from $5/megawatt to $236/megawatt and will now cause Ameren electric rates to increase beginning June 1. This increase is unrelated to the increase in natural gas prices and different from what was experienced beginning in Fall 2021 when Ameren gas rates increased, causing heating bills to rise over the winter months. Not only will this rate increase lead to higher electric bills that customers can expect to see in late June/early July, but there is also the potential that customers could experience electricity disruptions this summer, such as controlled brownouts due to reliability issues within the MISO territory. Here are some tips that can help:" posted Barickman on Facebook.

Earlier this year, Barickman told constituents of a 12-month repayment option. "Ameren Illinois has rolled out a 12-month repayment plan to help customers who have fallen behind on energy bills," Barickman said. "The repayment application is open from now until July 31." The energy company highlights a variety of energy assistance programs on its website, including LIHEAP, Warm Neighbors Cool Friends (which has income restrictions), and the payment plans option.

An Ameren spokesperson told Newschannel 20 that "customers can expect to pay around $48 more every month on the supply side of their bill."

Ameren pointed to the war in Ukraine and restrictions on Russian fuel stating that it is one of the reasons behind the increase in electric costs. "One of the problems right now is the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has caused energy prices to spike, but this is a problem that goes back a year," Jim Chilsen with the watchdog group, Citizens Utility Board, said. "Natural gas prices have been very high."