Missouri Utility to Increase Bills to Collect Undercharges.(Originated from The Kansas City Star, Mo.)

Sep. 1--Missouri Gas Energy customers will see a 3.4 percent increase in their bills over the next year to collect undercharges for wholesale gas costs over the last year, according to the Missouri Public Service Commission.

Utilities each year tabulate what they paid for wholesale natural gas over a year and match it against what they collected from customers through the "cost of gas" part of the bill.

This year the utility is owed money, according to the Missouri Public Service Commission. The money owed includes its portion of the $8.5 million it saved customers by reducing gas costs. The incentive plan gives the utility …