# Evergy Rate Increase 2026: Missouri Metro Asks $17.70 More

> Evergy Missouri Metro's rate increase request would add about $17.70 a month for an average home. Not approved; Evergy expects new rates in January 2027.

- URL: https://solarexaminer.com/posts/evergy-missouri-metro-rate-increase-2026/
- Site: Solar Examiner (https://solarexaminer.com/)
- Category: News
- Published: 2026-10-25
- Last verified: 2026-10-25
- Author: Craig Leslie

## Key takeaways

- Evergy Missouri Metro has asked the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) for about $137.9 million a year more in base rates, in case ER-2026-0143. It is a request, not an approved rate.
- Evergy says an average residential customer would pay about $17.70 more a month if the request is approved as filed. That is about $212 a year. Evergy did not say what monthly usage that average assumes.
- The PSC suspended the proposed rates until January 6, 2027, and scheduled the evidentiary hearing for September 28 through October 9, 2026. We found no settlement or decision as of October 25.
- Separately, Evergy Missouri Metro's fuel adjustment charge fell on October 1, 2026: about $1.63 a month less at 1,000 kWh, under a PSC order of September 14.
- Only Evergy Missouri Metro's roughly 310,000 to 313,000 customers are affected. Evergy Missouri West and Evergy's Kansas customers are not part of this case.



Evergy Missouri Metro is asking Missouri regulators to raise its base rates by about **$137.9 million a year**. Evergy says that would add about **$17.70 a month** for an average residential customer if approved as filed. It is a request, not an approved rate: the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) has not ruled, and Evergy expects new rates in January 2027.

The case is ER-2026-0143, filed February 6, 2026. It covers only Evergy Missouri Metro, which serves parts of the Kansas City area plus Marshall, Salisbury and Carrollton. For Ameren Missouri's pending case and the statewide picture, see [where Missouri electric rates stand in 2026](/posts/missouri-electricity-rate-changes-2026/).

## The Request at a Glance

| Item | Figure | Status / source |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate increase | About $137.9 million a year | Requested; Missouri PSC and Evergy |
| Percentage | 14.9%, plus what Evergy describes as a 0.3% increase for fuel costs | Requested; Evergy |
| Average residential bill | About +$17.70 a month (usage basis not stated) | Requested; Evergy estimate |
| Customers | About 310,000 (Evergy) or 313,000 (PSC) | Evergy Missouri Metro only |
| Rates suspended until | January 6, 2027 | PSC order, Feb. 19, 2026 |
| Evidentiary hearing | Scheduled Sept. 28 to Oct. 9, 2026 | PSC order, Feb. 19, 2026 |
| Fuel adjustment change | −$1.63 a month at 1,000 kWh from Oct. 1, 2026 | Approved; PSC order, Sept. 14, 2026 |

## What Evergy Is Asking For

Evergy filed new tariffs on February 6, 2026. In its announcement, the utility put the request at 14.9%, or $137.9 million, and said an average residential customer would pay about $17.70 more a month. Over a year, that is about $212.40 ($17.70 × 12). Evergy did not state the monthly kWh behind its "average residential customer," so your change will differ with your usage.

The percentages differ slightly by source. Evergy's release says "the request also includes a 0.3% increase to address fuel costs." A position statement that Google LLC, a party to the case, filed on September 25, 2026 says Evergy "seeks to increase the rates of all customer classes 15.19%." That is close to 14.9% plus 0.3%, but no source we found confirms how the figures add up, so treat about 15% as the size of the ask across customer classes.

Evergy gives three reasons:

- **Investment:** more than $500 million in infrastructure, including grid upgrades, since its last Missouri Metro rate review in 2022.
- **Offsets:** about $110 million in savings and credits, which Evergy says include tax credits from Wolf Creek and solar, lower benefit and pension costs, transmission revenue and projected demand growth.
- **Data centers:** Evergy says the request is not driven by new data centers, and that it lowered the request by $25 million to reflect expected 2026 data center revenue. The PSC's notice also says the request does not include the costs of serving Kansas City-area data centers.

The PSC noted that Evergy had to file a rate case because it uses a fuel adjustment clause, and the authority for those adjustments expires after four years without one.

## Where the Case Stands

On February 19, 2026, the PSC suspended Evergy's proposed tariffs "until January 6, 2027" and scheduled the evidentiary hearing for September 28 through October 9, 2026, in Jefferson City. Public hearings were held in Kansas City on July 14, in Marshall on July 15 and online on July 16.

We found no settlement of the overall revenue increase. Google's September 25 position statement, filed days before the hearing, lists contested issues for the hearing and post-hearing briefs, including its opposition to raising rates for very large customers under the proposal. As of October 25, 2026, we found no PSC decision. The Commission is expected to rule before the January 6, 2027 suspension date. Regulators can approve less than a utility requests: in Ameren Missouri's last electric case, the PSC approved an agreement for $355 million after Ameren asked for $446 million. The outcome here is not known.

## A Small Decrease Already on October Bills

A separate change has already reached bills. On September 14, 2026, the PSC approved a new fuel adjustment rate for Evergy Missouri Metro, effective October 1, 2026 (cases EO-2027-0031 and ER-2027-0032).

| Fuel adjustment, residential, 1,000 kWh a month | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Before October 1, 2026 | $1.42 charge |
| From October 1, 2026 | $0.21 credit |
| Change | −$1.63 |

The order lists a fuel adjustment rate of ($0.00084) per kWh; it does not explain how that rate produces the $0.21 residential figure, so rely on the monthly amounts above. Fuel adjustments are reset on a schedule and are subject to later true-up and prudence review, so this line can move again.

**What the two changes mean together.** Using Evergy's own numbers, and only as a rough comparison: the October fuel change takes about $1.63 off a 1,000 kWh bill, while the base rate request, if approved in full, would add about $17.70 for an average customer. The two figures may assume different usage, and fuel adjustments change periodically, so you cannot simply net them for future months.

## What It Means for Your Bill and for Solar

**For most households:** a base rate case changes the parts of your bill that do not depend on fuel prices, such as the customer charge and the per-kWh energy and delivery charges. Our guide to [reading your electric bill](/posts/how-to-read-your-electric-bill/) shows where each appears. If you are on a tight budget, the base rate change would not start until 2027, which leaves time to look at [budget billing](/posts/budget-billing-explained/) or bill assistance.

**For solar owners and shoppers:** Missouri's Net Metering and Easy Connection Act applies to Evergy Missouri Metro. According to the Missouri Division of Energy, solar output first offsets the power you would buy in the same billing period. Any net surplus earns a credit based on the utility's avoided fuel cost, which is far below the retail rate.

That split matters here. A base rate increase raises the value of every solar kWh you use in your own home, because each one avoids a higher retail charge. It does little for kWh you send back as a monthly surplus. A system sized so production stays at or below your monthly use gets the most out of a higher rate. Fixed customer charges are the one part solar cannot reduce, as we explain in [fixed charges and solar savings](/posts/fixed-charges-and-solar-savings/).

We could not open Evergy's own net metering tariff page to confirm its current avoided-cost credit, so ask Evergy for the current figure before relying on a quote's export assumptions.

## What to Watch

1. **A PSC decision before January 6, 2027.** The final increase, and the residential monthly figure, may differ from the $17.70 request.
2. **Rate design.** Watch whether the customer charge or the per-kWh charges carry more of any increase. That changes how much solar can offset.
3. **The next fuel adjustment.** It can move in either direction.

For the step-by-step process, see [how electric rate cases work](/posts/how-electric-rate-cases-work/).

## Limitations

The $17.70 a month figure is Evergy's estimate and does not state a usage level. We did not find a PSC Staff or Office of the Public Counsel recommended revenue figure in the public documents we could open, and we did not find a hearing transcript confirming the hearing concluded on schedule. The fuel adjustment order has internal inconsistencies in its file numbers, so we cite both case numbers shown in its caption.

## Sources and verification

| Important claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| $137.9 million request; filed Feb. 6, 2026; case ER-2026-0143; about 313,000 customers; data center costs excluded; filing required by fuel clause rule; Missouri West not affected | [Missouri PSC, PR-26-54, Feb. 10, 2026](https://psc.mo.gov/Electric/Intervention_Deadline_Set_in_Evergy_Missouri_Metro_Rate_Case_--_pr-26-54) | Verified |
| 14.9%; separate 0.3% fuel-cost increase; about $17.70 a month for an average residential customer; 310,000 customers; January 2027; $500M+ investment, ~$110M offsets, $25M data center reduction | [Evergy news release, Feb. 6, 2026](https://newsroom.evergy.com/2026-02-06-Evergy-asks-Missouri-Public-Service-Commission-to-allow-recovery-of-investments-to-improve-electric-grid-reliability-and-costs-of-service-for-Missouri-Metro-customers) | Verified (utility estimate; usage basis not stated) |
| Tariffs suspended until Jan. 6, 2027; evidentiary hearing scheduled Sept. 28 to Oct. 9, 2026 | [Missouri PSC order, Feb. 19, 2026](https://efis.psc.mo.gov/Document/Display/866281) | Verified (schedule as ordered) |
| Local public hearing dates | [Missouri PSC, PR-26-70, May 12, 2026](https://psc.mo.gov/Electric/PSC_Sets_Local_Public_Hearing_Schedule_for_Evergy_Missouri_Metro_Rate_Case_-_pr-26-70) | Verified |
| Proposal described as 15.19% for all customer classes; contested issues listed for hearing | [Google LLC position statement, Sept. 25, 2026](https://efis.psc.mo.gov/Document/Display/891723) | Qualified (party filing) |
| Fuel adjustment: $1.42 charge to $0.21 credit at 1,000 kWh, −$1.63; FAR ($0.00084)/kWh; effective Oct. 1, 2026 | [Missouri PSC order, Sept. 14, 2026](https://efis.psc.mo.gov/Document/Display/890156) | Verified |
| Ameren Missouri: $355M approved after $446M request | [Missouri PSC, April 23, 2025](https://psc.mo.gov/Electric/PSC_Approves_Agreement_in_Ameren_Missouri_Electric_Rate_Case--pr-25-33) | Verified |
| Missouri net metering: surplus credited at avoided fuel cost | [Missouri Division of Energy, PUB2238](https://dnr.mo.gov/print/document-search/pub2238) | Verified (2021 fact sheet) |
| No settlement or decision found | Searches of PSC releases and case filings, Oct. 25, 2026 | Qualified |

Checked October 25, 2026. Figures in the rate case are requests, not approved rates.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much will Evergy bills go up in Missouri in 2027?

If the PSC approved Evergy Missouri Metro's request in full, Evergy says an average residential customer would pay about $17.70 more a month. Regulators can approve less than a utility asks for, so the final figure may be lower. Evergy expects new rates in January 2027.

### Does the Evergy rate case affect Kansas customers or Evergy Missouri West?

No. Case ER-2026-0143 covers Evergy Missouri Metro, which serves parts of the Kansas City area plus Marshall, Salisbury and Carrollton. The Missouri PSC says Evergy Missouri West customers are not affected.

### When will the Missouri PSC decide the Evergy Missouri Metro rate case?

No decision date has been announced. The PSC suspended the proposed rates until January 6, 2027, so a decision is expected before then. Evergy says new rates would take effect in January 2027.

### Why did my Evergy bill go down a little in October 2026?

On September 14, 2026, the PSC approved a new fuel adjustment rate for Evergy Missouri Metro effective October 1. For a residential customer using 1,000 kWh a month, the fuel charge moved from a $1.42 charge to a $0.21 credit, a $1.63 decrease. That change is separate from the pending base rate case.

### Does the rate case change how Evergy credits rooftop solar?

Missouri's net metering rules come from state law, not this case. Solar power you use at home offsets your bill at the retail rate, while monthly surplus is credited at the utility's avoided cost, which is far lower. If base rates rise, each kWh you use yourself becomes worth more.


Image credit: Photo by Chad Nathan on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/telephone-pole-with-transformers-and-wires-in-trees-jJMrzwB-0MA?utm_source=solarexaminer&utm_medium=referral)