Editor’s note. The following is taken from a publication of the Missouri Public Service Commission.

JEFFERSON CITY - Your local natural gas company must purchase natural gas to heat your home from wholesale suppliers. Missouri companies do not own natural gas fields. What the wholesale supplier charges your local natural gas company is determined in an unregulated market; Congress deregulated prices several years ago. Today, prices are determined in an open, competition-based market.
Wholesale prices are subject to wide variations depending on a number of factors including supply, demand, and weather. A prolonged cold spell or brief episode of severe winter weather would increase demand in the high-consumption winter months.
The role of the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) is limited when it comes to rate changes associated with the actual cost of natural gas. The commission does not regulate wholesale supplier rates.
You local natural gas company must file a request with the PSC in order to increase or decrease natural gas rates to reflect wholesale supplier price changes. When a filing is made by a local natural gas company, the PSC staff does the following. (1) Ensures that it is accurate. (2) Ensures it is in compliance with tariffs the company has on file with the PSC. (3) Ensures it generally reflects current market conditions. (4) Ensures that the proposed change in rates considers any moderating factors like storage or fixed price contracts. (5) Recommends approval or suspension to the commission.
Commission approval of a purchased gas adjustment filing is on an interim, subject to refund, basis.
At the end of every 12-month period, the commission conducts a thorough review of the purchasing practices of your local natural gas company. Many factors are examined including, (1) Did the company purchase gas supplies for its customers prudently? (2) Did the company make reasonable decisions given the facts and circumstances that existed at the time purchase decisions were made?
The commission also conducts an annual audit of the company’s wholesale supplier natural gas costs. This is performed to ensure that what the company paid to wholesale suppliers is, in fact, what it received from its customers. Customer rates are adjusted to reflect any over or under collection of gas costs.
In addition, the commission continues to encourage local natural gas companies to consider purchasing strategies that provide reliable gas supplies that are priced as low as reasonably achievable and are not overly volatile. Purchasing strategies typically consider the following. (1) Long and short term contracts. (2) Fixed price contracts. (3) Storage of natural gas. (4) Several other types of hedging mechanisms.
The commission actively participates in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission cases that affect the part of the natural gas bill associated with the cost of transporting natural gas supplies through interstate pipelines.
In order to help limit the impact of high natural gas prices, which are expected in the coming winter, customers should consider energy saving tips and programs. A list of these will appear in the next edition of the Democrat.

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) periodically releases recommendations on ways to save on energy consumption. The following tips are primarily directed toward energy conservation during the hot weeks of summer, but nearly all of them are equally applicable during any time of year.
Appliances account for 20 percent of household energy use, and ways of reducing their length of time in use are key to lowering electric bills.
Consider using a programmable thermostat to raise the temperature when the home is unoccupied. (In winter, temperatures should be lowered.)
Turn down the temperature on your water heater to no more than 120 degrees. (This applies to any time of year. Of more help in Lamar is the fact that tap water is considerably warmer in summer because of increased water temperature in Lamar City Lake. Thus, less heating is required to raise the temperature to 120 degrees.)
Keep storm windows and doors in place year round to reduce air conditioning load.
Vacuum the coils of refrigerators and freezers, and check for frost buildup since these cause the appliances to work harder.
Don’t overload an electric circuit with high wattage appliances. The normal limit for an electric circuit of 15 amps is 1,600 watts. Overloaded circuits can blow fuses or trip circuit breakers as well as make any appliance on the circuit operate inefficiently. It can also be dangerous.
Whenever possible, avoid using extension cords with appliances. This cuts the efficiency of the equipment, and an overloaded extension cord can result in a fire.
The timeless recommendation in the use of lights always applies. If not being used, turn it off.

By Michele Pippin

NEVADA - Approximately 70 citizen-soldiers of Company A, 311th Brigade Support Battalion, have joined the Missouri National Guard’s response to Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana. They are the second wave of Missouri guardsmen to move south over the last few days. “Our mission is to hand out commodities to those in need, those in the affected areas,” said Capt. Nathan Wilde, Company A commander. The commodities include bottled water, food, and some ready-to-eat meals.
Sgt. 1st Class Greg Lowe of Golden City served with the Missouri Guard’s Hurricane Katrina response three years ago. He said he’s delighted to see the preemptive support for those in Gustav’s path. “The preparation for this hurricane was outstanding,” Lowe said. “Those soldiers who have never responded to this type of emergency are in for a real experience. They’ll learn quickly what it’s like to see so many people in distress, but it’s good to see so many of the citizens heeded the warnings and got out of harm’s way ahead of the storm.”
Twelve members of Company A are from Barton County. They are Spc. Nathan Beaman, Liberal; Sgt. Trampas Brooks, Liberal; Ssg. Julie Deeble, Lamar; 1st Sgt. James Forst, Lamar; Ssg. Brian Keith, Lamar; Spc. James Lopes, Lamar; Sfc. Gregory Lowe, Golden City; Ssg. Rick Menego, Lamar; Sgt. Kodi Noland, Lamar; Sgt. Austin Parks, Lamar; Spc. Rodney Rodebush, Lamar; and Sfc. Eric Turner, Lamar.
The mobilization of Company A brought the Missouri Guard’s flood response to roughly 1,300 soldiers.
Numerous military police units of the Missouri Guard were also deployed to the flood zones of Louisiana, conducting law and order operations as well as delivering supplies.