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UtilityRateWatch

Liberty Empire District rate increase

Electric · Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas · Investor-owned utility · part of Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

Proposed

Last checked

In Arkansas, Liberty Empire District has a pending increase of about +$34.13/month for a typical 1,000 kWh home starting 2027, if regulators approve the request.

Further step: +$34.11/month.

Details and sources · Estimate for your home

Rate changes, newest first

2026 Arkansas base rate request, proposed two-year phase-in

Base rate case · Arkansas · Electric

Proposed

Typical residential bill (1,000 kWh/month)

  • +$34.13/mostarting 2027 (+20.7%)Proposed year one, per Liberty (spring 2027 if approved); percent is over current rates
  • +$34.11/modate not disclosed (+17.2%)Proposed year two, per Liberty; percent is over year one

Combined: +$68.24/mo (+41.5% total)

Typical bill before the change: $164.52/month

Proposed amounts; regulators may change them.

Filed
May 15, 2026
Decision expected
Not disclosed
Requested effective
2027
Requested increase
Not disclosed
Approved increase
Pending
Docket
Not disclosed

Liberty asked the Arkansas PSC in May 2026 to raise base rates for its roughly 5,700 Arkansas customers, phased in over two years. It estimates a 1,000 kWh bill would rise from about $164.52 to about $232.76 (about 41.5%), with new rates in spring 2027 if approved.

Utility's stated reasons

  • about $48 million invested in Arkansas since March 2023
  • new and upgraded substations, including Gentry
  • storm hardening and outage-reduction devices
Sources (2) · Based on news or utility announcements

Last verified Oct 19, 2026

2025 Missouri base rate case, phased in over three years

Base rate case · Missouri · Electric

In effect

Typical residential bill

Not stated for a specific usage level. Any figures the sources give are in the summary below.

Filed
February 26, 2025
Decided
January 14, 2026
Effective
August 3, 2026
Requested increase
$152.8 million
Approved increase
$97 million
Docket
ER-2024-0261

Liberty sought about $152.8 million. In January 2026 the PSC approved a $97 million settlement phased in over three years, but held rates until Liberty met billing-accuracy metrics; it found them met and rates began August 3, 2026. KY3 reported each phase adds about $9 a month. Public Counsel and Consumers Council of Missouri opposed any increase over billing problems.

Utility's stated reasons

  • storm hardening and grid reliability upgrades
  • added generation capacity for growth
  • new customer information and billing systems
Sources (5) · Verified against regulator or utility filings

Last verified Oct 19, 2026

2026 Kansas base rate case, phased in over two years

Base rate case · Kansas · Electric

In effect

Typical residential bill (1,000 kWh/month)

  • +$14.73/mostarting August 1, 2026 (+11%)Year one, per Liberty; percent is over current rates
  • +$12.98/mothen from August 1, 2027 (+9%)Year two, per Liberty; percent is over year one

Combined: +$27.71/mo (+20.5% total)

Typical bill before the change: $135.38/month

Filed
December 31, 2025
Decided
July 21, 2026
Effective
August 1, 2026
Requested increase
$15.8 million
Approved increase
$8.78 million
Docket
26-EPDE-0180-RTS

Liberty asked for $15.8 million, its first Kansas base rate increase since 2012, largely for three wind projects and grid upgrades. CURB had recommended about $6.6 million and opposed including the wind projects. The KCC approved a unanimous $8.775 million settlement in July 2026, raising a 1,000 kWh bill about $27.71 a month over two years and the customer charge to $18.

Utility's stated reasons

  • three wind projects added to base rates
  • transmission and distribution upgrades
  • first base rate increase in Kansas since 2012
Sources (3) · Based on news or utility announcements

Last verified Oct 19, 2026

June-November 2026 fuel adjustment rate after Winter Storm Fern (Missouri)

Fuel / purchased power · Missouri · Electric

In effect

Typical residential bill (1,000 kWh/month)

  • +$8.74/mostarting June 1, 2026Per the PSC order, applies over June-November 2026; the next fuel rate (December 2026-May 2027) will carry the remaining $13.25 million and was not yet set
Filed
April 1, 2026
Decided
May 20, 2026
Effective
June 1, 2026
Requested increase
$33.96 million
Approved increase
$20.7 million
Docket
ER-2026-0260

Liberty's fuel costs from September 2025 to February 2026 ran well above the amount in base rates, mostly because of Winter Storm Fern. A settlement approved by the PSC spreads the cost out: a 1,000 kWh home pays about $8.74 more a month from June through November 2026, instead of the $14.81 Liberty first proposed, with $13.25 million moved to the next fuel period.

Utility's stated reasons

  • fuel and purchased power costs above base rates, mainly Winter Storm Fern
  • part of the cost deferred to the next six-month period
Sources (1) · Verified against regulator or utility filings

Last verified Oct 19, 2026

Most recent base rate case

Decided January 14, 2026 · Docket ER-2024-0261

In Missouri, the PSC approved a $97 million increase phased in over three years, conditioned on Liberty meeting billing and customer service metrics for three straight months. The PSC found the metrics met and the first phase took effect August 3, 2026.

What it could mean for your bill

Sources state the impact for one typical home. Enter your own usage or bill for a rough estimate.

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Who decides

Utility website: central.libertyutilities.com

Related

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Last checked Oct 19, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.