Some Kansas Evergy customers to see rate increase after settlement agreement
Evergy customers will see a slight increase in their monthly bills starting in October, following a unanimous settlement agreement reached by the Kansas Corporation Commission with the electric provider.
Evergy will increase its rates by $128 million overall to recoup investments made to replace aging equipment and strengthen its power grid, according to a release from the commission. The company requested a $196.4 million increase in its application filed in January.
The changes will affect customers in Evergy Kansas Central — an area that spans most of eastern and south-central Kansas, including Wichita, Topeka and Manhattan.
The average home customer will see a rate increase of approximately $8.47 per month, based on average annual residential usage of 900 kWh. Overall, customers will see a bill hike of approximately 6.6%. The KCC came to the agreed upon rates based on an independent review of the case.
Commissioner Dwight D. Keen, one of three commissioners, filed a partial dissenting opinion objecting to the 9.7% return on equity granted for transmission delivery charges, which covers costs associated with building and maintaining the transmission system. Transmission delivery charges are outside of the base rate, passed through to ratepayers as a separate surcharge on their monthly bill.
Keen believes the approved return on equity is excessive and may present ongoing affordability issues for ratepayers.
“Ratepayer affordability and electric grid reliability must play a more prominent and consequential role in utility ratemaking,” Keen stated in his dissent.
Americans for Prosperity-Kansas, a grassroots advocacy organization which opposed the increase and says it plans to pursue legislation next year to lower electricity rates for Kansans, said in a statement Thursday that the increase will make the state “a less appealing place to do business and raise a family.”
This story was originally published September 25, 2025 at 4:36 PM.
