8-K

                SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                    Washington, D.C.  20549


                          Form 8-K

                       CURRENT REPORT


              Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                 Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 18, 2001


                      LACLEDE GAS COMPANY
_____________________________________________________________________
       (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

   Missouri                  1-1822                   43-0368139
_____________________________________________________________________
(State or other           (Commission                (IRS Employer
  jurisdiction                File                   Identification
      of                     Number)                       No.)
 incorporation)

 720 Olive Street      St. Louis, Missouri                63101
_____________________________________________________________________
(Address of principal executive offices)                (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code (314) 342-0500
                                                   _______________

                             NONE
_____________________________________________________________________
   (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)






Item 7.  Exhibits.

     See the Index to Exhibits.


Item 9.  Regulation FD Disclosure.

     On May 18, 2001 the Company issued the news release
attached as Exhibit 1.



































                             SIGNATURE


     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                       LACLEDE GAS COMPANY
                                          (Registrant)



                                       By: GERALD T. MCNEIVE, JR.
                                           ___________________________

                                           Gerald T. McNeive, Jr.
                                           Senior Vice President-
                                           Finance and General Counsel

May 18, 2001
  (Date)
























                       Index to Exhibits




Exhibit No.
- -----------

    1            Laclede Gas Company news release dated
                 May 18, 2001.

EX-1

Exhibit 1

NEWS RELEASE
LACLEDE GAS


                                     Contact:  Richard N. Hargraves
                                               (314) 342-0652
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2001


Laclede Gas seeks rate recovery
for increases in distribution costs

     ST. LOUIS, MO - Laclede Gas Company (NYSE: LG) today filed a request

with the Missouri Public Service Commission for an increase in the portion

of its general rate structure to recover increased distribution costs

associated with providing natural gas service to its more than 633,000

customers in St. Louis and surrounding counties in Eastern Missouri. This

filing does not impact the other portions of Laclede's bill associated with

wholesale gas costs, local gross receipt tax rates or interstate pipeline

and storage costs that represent the majority of our customer bills.

     Today's request is unlikely to result in higher customer rates

during next winter's heating season because the Public Service Commission

usually suspends the implementation of general rate increases until the

utility's filing has been thoroughly audited and reviewed. That process may

take as long as 11 months, which means the first winter heating bills

customers are likely to receive under the new rates would come during the

winter of 2002-2003.
























     The last time a general rate increase went into effect for Laclede

customers was December 27, 1999.

     This general rate increase applies only to the distribution cost

portion of a Laclede customer's total bill, which typically is about

one-fifth of the total during the winter. This is the amount necessary to

cover Laclede's costs of operating and maintaining its 15,000-mile gas

distribution and storage system, and includes the state and federal taxes

the company must pay. From this portion, Laclede also pays dividends to its

shareholders, who have provided the capital necessary to build the

distribution and storage system.

     Laclede's request would increase a typical residential heating

customer's bill by an average of $4.90 a month. The increase would apply

throughout Laclede's system, including its operating divisions known as St.

Charles Gas, Midwest Missouri Gas, and Missouri Natural Gas.

     Missouri law calls for rates to be established that cover the utility's

cost of providing safe, reliable service to its customers while providing a

reasonable rate of return to the company's investors. This rate increase is

needed to recover the increased costs of operating and maintaining Laclede's

distribution system and to offset the added capital costs associated with

Laclede's replacement and installation of gas mains, service lines and

related facilities during the past several years.

     The remaining and by far the largest portion of a customer's bill

involves the prices Laclede pays others to acquire natural gas supplies to

meet its customers needs and to store and transport those supplies from

production fields to Laclede's service area. Wholesale gas costs are the

product of a competitive national marketplace created two decades ago when











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the federal government deregulated wholesale gas prices charged by producers

at the wellhead.

           ________________________________________________

                        LACLEDE GAS COMPANY
            TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL WINTER 2000-2001 GAS BILL
                       WHERE EACH DOLLAR GOES

             Gross Receipts Tax (avg) - 6%
             Pipeline Transp. And Storage - 10%
             Distribution (Laclede) - 18%
             Wholesale Gas Costs - 66%

             *Gross receipts taxes vary be municipality
           ________________________________________________



     Laclede has initiated several innovative proposals designed to minimize

the impact on customers of fluctuations in wholesale gas prices and weather-

related gas usage which are pending before the Missouri Public Service

Commission. The Commission already has approved Laclede's hedging program

that helps offset the amount of wholesale prices charged to customers, and

the Commission has before it proposals to extend Laclede's Gas Supply

Incentive Plan and adopt the company's weather mitigation proposal.



     Note: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the
     meaning of Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as
     amended.  The Company's future operating results may be affected by
     various uncertainties and risk factors, many of which are beyond the
     Company's control, including weather conditions, governmental and
     regulatory policy and action, the competitive environment and economic
     factors.  For a more complete description of these uncertainties and
     risk factors, see the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended September
     30, 2000, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.







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