Laclede Electric Cooperative, Inc. Rate Selection Guide
Laclede Electric Cooperative serves roughly 39,000 members across six Ozark-region Missouri counties with a fully deployed Tantalus AMI network of 36,000+ smart meters collecting 15-minute interval data. Members get billing history, hourly usage analytics, and Green Button Download My Data (ESPI XML) through NISC SmartHub — but there is no Connect My Data, EDI, or official API, so third parties rely on customer-shared Green Button files.
Market Overview
Laclede Electric is a member-owned distribution cooperative in Missouri's regulated retail market; members take bundled service with no supplier choice, which is one reason choice-market EDI transactions are absent.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Laclede Electric Cooperative, Inc. Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Laclede Electric Cooperative keeps its rate card deliberately simple — the Lebanon, Missouri co-op publishes a single-page schedule rather than a state-regulated tariff book (Missouri electric cooperatives are largely self-regulated). Residential, farm, and home accounts take Rate 1 at a flat $0.098/kWh. Commercial accounts take Rate 2 (energy-only) or Rate 3 (demand-metered): both carry blocked energy at $0.1677/kWh for the first 675 kWh and $0.0866/kWh beyond, with Rate 3 adding a $6.73/kW demand charge on demand above 25 kW (the first 25 kW are free). All rates sit atop a $35.10 minimum service availability charge. Three-phase, temporary, and non-standard installations are priced by individual contract — the path large C&I loads should expect.
Effective: April 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rate 2 – Commercial (Non-Demand) | commercial | Smaller commercial accounts without demand metering | $35.10 minimum service availability charge; blocked energy: first 675 kWh/month at $0.1677/kWh, over 675 kWh at $0.0866/kWh | $0.1677 first block / $0.0866 tail-block per kWh |
| Rate 3 – Commercial (Demand-Metered) | commercial | Larger commercial accounts with demand metering | Same blocked energy as Rate 2 ($0.1677 first 675 kWh, $0.0866 beyond) plus demand: first 25 kW free, $6.73/kW above 25 kW; $35.10 minimum | $0.0866/kWh tail-block energy+ $6.73/kW above 25 kW (first 25 kW no charge) |
| Three-Phase / Large Power Contract Service | industrial | Three-phase, temporary, and unusual or non-standard installations, including larger industrial loads | Priced on an individual contract basis with the cooperative — contact Laclede Electric for terms; see rate card for standard charges | — |
| Security Lighting (Dusk-to-Dawn) | commercial | Unmetered cooperative-installed and maintained security lights | Flat monthly per-fixture charges by type: $4.90–$15.90 each per month | $4.90–$15.90 per fixture/month |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Lake of the Ozarks hospitality and marinas
Resorts, marinas, and seasonal hospitality around the Lake of the Ozarks portion of Laclede's territory typically bill on Rate 3, where summer demand peaks drive the bill.
With the first 25 kW of demand free and $6.73/kW beyond, seasonal operations that stack dock power, HVAC, and kitchen load into the same interval pay demand charges that disappear with modest scheduling discipline — and the $0.0866 tail-block energy rate is already among Missouri's lower commercial rates.
- Stagger HVAC, ice machines, and kitchen equipment startups on summer mornings to keep metered demand near the 25 kW free allowance
- Get past the 675 kWh first block quickly — marginal energy drops nearly 50% to $0.0866/kWh, so consolidating meters can lower blended cost
- Confirm with the co-op whether seasonal accounts can suspend service availability charges in closed months
Retail, restaurants, and offices in Lebanon and Camdenton
Storefront commercial accounts under roughly 25 kW fit Rate 2 or pay little to no demand under Rate 3 — a simple, energy-driven bill.
Because the first 675 kWh price at $0.1677/kWh — nearly double the tail block — small accounts effectively pay a high fixed-ish entry cost. Efficiency matters most for low-usage sites still living inside the first block.
- If usage stays under ~675 kWh/month, every saved kWh avoids the full $0.1677 rate — prioritize lighting and HVAC controls
- Demand-metered sites should verify demand stays under the 25 kW free threshold before worrying about demand management
- Use SmartHub usage data to spot abnormal consumption against the 675 kWh block boundary
Manufacturing, poultry, and three-phase agricultural loads
Larger industrial and ag-processing loads — poultry houses, feed mills, manufacturers along the I-44 corridor — take three-phase service on individual contracts with the cooperative.
Contract-based service means terms are negotiable: contract demand levels, facilities charges, and connection costs are set per installation. Coming to the table with 12 months of interval data (available via Laclede's SmartHub/Green Button export) strengthens negotiating position.
- Request contract terms in writing and benchmark the effective $/kWh and $/kW against the published Rate 3 card
- Bring interval load data to contract negotiations — it documents your actual coincident demand profile
- For new three-phase service, get line-extension and transformer cost estimates early; they're billed per individual contract
Cost Optimization Strategies
Laclede Electric's flat, simple rate design limits the levers compared with TOU utilities — there are no time-of-use periods to arbitrage — so optimization centers on the 675 kWh energy block, the 25 kW free demand allowance, and contract terms for larger loads. The co-op's wholesale power is fully purchased, so member rates track wholesale costs set by its supplier.
Demand control around the 25 kW free allowance
For: Rate 3 commercial accounts with peaks moderately above 25 kW
Rate 3 charges nothing for the first 25 kW and $6.73/kW above. Facilities running 30–60 kW peaks can often sequence equipment starts and interlock large loads to pull metered demand back toward the free allowance.
First-block efficiency targeting
For: All commercial accounts; strongest math for small, low-usage sites
The first 675 kWh each month price at $0.1677/kWh — 93% above the tail block. Low-usage accounts get outsized returns from LED retrofits, smart thermostats, and phantom-load elimination because savings come off the expensive block first... in reverse: reductions come off the cheap tail block, so high-usage sites should weigh efficiency against $0.0866/kWh while sub-675 kWh sites save at $0.1677/kWh.
Meter consolidation review
For: Multi-building or multi-meter commercial members
Each meter carries its own $35.10 minimum and its own expensive 675 kWh first block. Multi-meter campuses can evaluate consolidating services to pay the first block once and reach the $0.0866 tail rate sooner.
Contract negotiation for large three-phase loads
For: Industrial and large agricultural members on contract service
Industrial service is individually contracted, so demand levels, facilities charges, and term length are negotiable. Use interval data from SmartHub/Green Button exports to document load factor and push for terms that reflect a flat, predictable profile.
Usage monitoring via SmartHub
For: All commercial members
Laclede's SmartHub portal with Green Button XML export gives members daily and interval usage. Set high-usage alerts and review demand trends monthly — the simplest defense against billing surprises on a co-op without TOU price signals.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Laclede Electric Cooperative, Inc. interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Laclede Electric support Green Button?▾
Yes — Download My Data only. SmartHub's My Usage section exports ESPI-compliant (NAESB REQ.21) zipped XML covering up to 14 months of hourly/daily usage and cost data. Connect My Data (the OAuth flow that lets third parties subscribe automatically) is not offered, so consultants work from customer-shared DMD files.
Can I get 15-minute interval data from Laclede?▾
The Tantalus AMI network collects 15-minute intervals across all 36,000+ meters, but official channels (portal graphs, Green Button) top out at hourly. The only 15-minute path today is the community reverse-engineered SmartHub API (electric-usage-downloader on GitHub), which requires customer credentials and is unsupported — fine for prototyping, risky for production.
How does an energy consultant get a Laclede member's usage data?▾
The standard path: the member downloads the Green Button XML from SmartHub and shares the file. Alternatively, Member Services at (573) 346-5303 can add the consultant as an authorized user on the account so they get their own SmartHub login. There's no utility-mediated authorization portal or aggregator program.
Does Laclede Electric offer EDI for commercial accounts?▾
No. There are no 814/810/867/820 transactions, no trading partner enrollment, and no VAN/SFTP connections — standard for a co-op this size with mostly residential and small commercial load. Businesses with hard EDI requirements can ask about custom arrangements at (573) 346-5303, but approval is rare.
What's the best integration path for an energy platform like Nectar?▾
Laclede is on Nectar's roadmap. Today the reliable path is customer-downloaded Green Button XML (hourly, 14 months) plus SmartHub bill PDFs — both standard formats Nectar can ingest. The AMI already records 15-minute data, so if NISC ever ships an official API or Laclede enables CMD, higher-resolution automation follows quickly.
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