Online tool helps St. Louis locals see community energy costs, advocates hope it helps financially

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - If you’re wondering how much your income is being impacted by your energy bills, a tool focused on St. Louis and Missouri can help you figure out how to budget, and how to find and energy-cost programs.

A report on St. Louis’ electric burden was launched earlier this year, as Ameren considers raising its rates.

It’s called the Missouri Energy Burden Explorer, and includes data from both Ameren and Spire organized by census tracts, according to those involved in the project, such as Renew Missouri and the Consumer’s Council of Missouri.

ed by groups like the Sierra Club and others, the tracker helps to identify the costs of electric and gas utilities, when they spike, what health concerns exist and adds the element of demographic data. And the advisory groups working with ers help collect the data on the ground:

Tori Cheatham, the St. Louis director of Renew Missouri explained that energy burden research is very interesting and unique “because we’re using real data.” She says that data identifies trends and patterns across large populations “and identify neighborhoods or areas with high energy burden.”

Energy burden is the percentage of income you spend on utilities, like electricity, and some areas are higher than others.

The creators of the report and the tool say it gives more insight into these areas and the energy challenges they face. The tool is unique, they say, because it has real data provided by utility companies.

This can help homeowners, according to Jacqueline Hutchinson of Consumer Council Missouri.

“They can back up what they’re thinking or experiencing with information from their entire community,” Hutchinson said.

CCM says they’ve worked with the utility companies on for community programs.

Ameren tells First Alert 4 it offers multiple cost-savings programs, senior programs and other initiatives to try and save customers money and for energy improvements in homes.

Advocates worry that changes in temperature, weather and inflation will impact seniors on budgets, young families and lower-income neighborhoods in St. Louis.

Statements in the report note similar concerns from residents of different ages and backgrounds in Dutchtown, Jennings, Fountain Park and other areas.

During a public hearing in St. Louis on the proposed rate increase in January, dozens of people signed up to speak and ask questions about why the utility company is looking to add an extra $15-20 to monthly electric bills.

Avery Martinez covers water, ag & the environment for First Alert 4. He is also a Report for America Corps member, as well as a member of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. His coverage ranges from corn farms to hunting concerns, and local water rates to rancher mental health.

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