KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Spire Energy customers in Kansas City can expect to see their natural gas bill increase beginning next month. 

Starting Sept. 1, Spire West customers, which includes the Kansas City metro, will see their bill increase by about $1.11 a month. Customers on the eastern side of the state will pay $1.51 more per month. 

The utility company says the rate increase is based on weather variations. 

This marks the third Spire rate increase in the last year. Last November, the Missouri Public Service Commission approved an $8 rate increase for Spire customers based on the rising cost of natural gas. In December, Spire began charging customers an extra $4.75 a month to pay for infrastructure upgrades.