Waukee's Second Winter on MidAmerican Gas: What's Different on Your Heating Bill This Year

Waukee's heating bill used to come from one place, and it came from the city. Until October 22, 2025, the Waukee Municipal Gas Utility supplied the gas, and the charges showed up on the same city statement as water and sewer. The city's October 2025 bill was the last one to include gas. After that, gas billing moved onto the MidAmerican Energy accounts residents already had for electricity.

This October starts the second heating season under that arrangement. Your bill is now shaped by three separate decisions. Waukee City Council makes one, the Iowa Utilities Commission makes another, and the third comes from the monthly natural gas market. Each one runs on its own schedule. Heading into winter 2026–27, only the city's piece is settled.

Three Pieces, Three Different Clocks

Here is how the pieces of a Waukee gas bill line up as of early October 2026.

These pieces move independently, so a change in one says nothing about the others. A cold January can push up the supply charge while the delivery charge holds still, and the franchise fee is a flat percentage that rises and falls with the bill. The next three sections cover each piece in turn.

The Piece Waukee Already Decided

Selling the gas utility took away a revenue stream the city had relied on. City Council took up the replacement at a public hearing on December 1, 2025. According to the minutes, the City Administrator walked through the history of the sale to MidAmerican, said the former city gas employees had moved to a new division within Public Works, and laid out a 2% franchise fee on MidAmerican's gas and electric revenue inside city limits as a way to recover the lost money.

The minutes also explain why a fee was chosen over leaving things as they were. Iowa cities can't collect both a franchise fee and sales tax on these bills, so approving the fee meant dropping the sales tax. The city receives only a portion of sales tax but keeps all of the franchise fee revenue. The other option discussed was a property tax increase. One resident spoke against the fee at the hearing, calling it a tax increase. Council approved the first reading 5–0.

The fee took effect in June 2026. The city's June utility newsletter described the math this way: the new 2% fee replaced the 1% sales tax that had been on the bill, so the net increase was 1%. The newsletter says the money goes to shared city services such as IT, HR, finance, communications and administration, and it points residents to Waukee.org/FranchiseFee for details.

This winter is the first heating season with that line on the bill. It's a percentage, so it scales with whatever the other two pieces add up to. In a high-usage month, 2% of a larger bill is a larger dollar amount, even though the rate never changes.

The Piece Still on a Regulator's Desk

On July 7, 2026, MidAmerican filed a request with the Iowa Utilities Commission to raise the delivery portion of its Iowa natural gas rates. Delivery is the part of the bill that pays for the pipes and operations that bring gas to the house. The company said a typical residential bill would rise about 5%, from $55.60 to $58.49 a month, based on the same average usage. The filing does not change the cost of the gas itself.

The release singled out Waukee customers by name.

"Those customers experienced an immediate rate reduction when Waukee joined MidAmerican's system in 2025. Even with the proposed adjustment, Waukee customers would continue to pay rates that are nearly 25% below the city's projected 2027 rates under its former municipal gas system."

That comparison comes from MidAmerican. The benchmark is a projection of what the city system would have charged in 2027, not a rate anyone actually paid.

The case is IUC docket RPU-2026-0001. In its July 8 announcement, the Commission said interim rates were planned to start July 17, 2026, while it reviewed the request. The Commission also said that if the final rates come in below the interim rates, customers will be refunded the difference with interest. It held consumer comment meetings on September 8, 9 and 10, including one virtual session. That July announcement said the evidentiary hearing schedule would be set later. An earlier IUC release from June 2 said representatives of the Office of Consumer Advocate, which represents customers' interests, would attend the comment meetings.

So the delivery charge on this winter's bills is a placeholder. It's billed now, but the Commission can still adjust it, and the refund-with-interest rule covers the case where the final number comes in lower. The IUC's announcement is the place to start following the docket.

The Piece Nobody Votes On

The third piece is the one that moves most in winter, and no council or commission sets it. MidAmerican's guide to understanding your bill describes the Gas Supply Charge as the cost of purchased gas, passed through to customers without a markup. It changes every month as gas costs change. Depending on how the bill is laid out, pipeline transportation may appear as its own line or be included in the supply charge.

This is why the 5% figure from the rate case doesn't describe your whole bill this winter. That 5% applies only to delivery. The supply charge is set by market prices, so it can move in either direction from month to month no matter how the IUC rules. When a December bill looks different from last December's, the difference can come from any of the three pieces, and the line items show which one moved.

Smoothing the Swings, With a Short History

For households that would rather pay the same amount every month, MidAmerican offers Budget Billing. The company describes it as a free way to smooth out bills, not a discount or a lower rate. The monthly amount is based on projected energy prices and the home's last 24 months of usage. When there's no usage history, MidAmerican estimates an amount. MidAmerican reviews the amount every three or six months, and eligible residential customers can choose a 12-month review instead. Once a year the balance is settled and rolled into the new budget amount, unless the customer calls to ask for different treatment. Enrollment is through My Account or by phone at 888-427-5632.

Waukee has a wrinkle here. The plan looks back 24 months, but MidAmerican has been billing Waukee gas only since October 22, 2025, so as of this month its own gas records for most Waukee homes cover less than a year. The Budget Billing page doesn't say whether usage from the former city utility counts toward that history. Households that enroll this fall may see their amount adjusted more at the periodic reviews while a full year of MidAmerican gas data builds up.

If the Bill Gets Hard to Carry

For some households, a bill split across three decision-makers is mainly a cash-flow question. The city's September 2026 utility newsletter lists the help available this winter.

1. LIHEAP, priority window. Applicants aged 60 and over and those receiving disability payments can apply from October 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027.
2. LIHEAP, general window. All other households can apply from November 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027.
3. Where to apply. Dallas County residents apply through New Opportunities, Inc. at 515-465-5185, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., or at newopp.org. In most cases, benefits arrive as a credit on the heating bill from the utility company.
4. Project Share. Residents can add a voluntary contribution to their Waukee utility bill to help qualifying neighbors with winter energy costs. A local social service agency identifies who receives the help. Questions go to 515-978-5502.
5. Dallas County Local Housing Trust Fund. Income-qualified owners of single-family homes they live in can apply for a five-year forgivable loan for eligible repairs, including weatherization. The number is 515-304-3524.

A common assumption is that Iowa bans winter shutoffs for everyone. It doesn't. The Iowa Utilities Commission describes the November 1 through April 1 disconnection moratorium as protection for low-income customers who are certified eligible for LIHEAP or the Low Income Home Weatherization Program. That makes the application step part of how the protection works.

The city still sends its own bill for water, sewer, stormwater and garbage through Waukee Utility Billing at 230 W. Hickman Road. That statement is where Project Share contributions go, and it's separate from MidAmerican.

When a home goes on the market, the buyers ask about utility costs, and in Waukee the honest answer now comes from three sources. If you're planning a sale this winter and want help putting together a clear picture of your monthly costs, or you'd rather skip showings during heating season with a Guaranteed Cash Offer, Adam Bugbee and the Iowa Home Experts team can walk you through both options. Sell My Home Worry-Free and request a Guaranteed Cash Offer.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.