Exhibit 12

 

 

 

THE LACLEDE GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES

 

SCHEDULE OF COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

 

 

|                              |   | **                           Twelve Months Ended** |    |
|-----------------------------------|--------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
|                              |   | **Dec. 31,**                                                                                                                                                                              |    |   |   | **September 30,** |   |
| (Thousands of Dollars)            |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      | 2006    |   |   |   |   | 2006 |   |   | 2005 |   |   | 2004 |   |   | 2003 |   |   | 2002 |   |
|                              |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Income before interest            |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| charges and income taxes          |   | $                                                                                                                                                                                         | 101,062 |   |   |   | $ | 108,783 |   | $ | 91,435 |   | $ | 84,196 |   | $ | 80,270 |   | $ | 60,440 |   |
| Add: One third of applicable      |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| rentals charged to operating      |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| expense (which approximates       |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| the interest factor)              |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      | 4,715   |   |   |   |   | 4,514 |   |   | 3,250 |   |   | 2,333 |   |   | 2,873 |   |   | 2,662 |   |
| Total Earnings                    |   | $                                                                                                                                                                                         | 105,777 |   |   |   | $ | 113,297 |   | $ | 94,685 |   | $ | 86,529 |   | $ | 83,143 |   | $ | 63,102 |   |
|                              |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                              |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Interest on long-term debt – |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Laclede Gas                       |   | $                                                                                                                                                                                         | 22,312  |   |   |   | $ | 22,329 |   | $ | 22,835 |   | $ | 22,010 |   | $ | 20,169 |   | $ | 20,820 |   |
| Other interest                    |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      | 15,161  |   |   |   |   | 13,850 |   |   | 7,714 |   |   | 6,804 |   |   | 6,802 |   |   | 4,989 |   |
| Add: One third of applicable      |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| rentals charged to operating      |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| expense (which approximates       |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| the interest factor)              |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      | 4,715   |   |   |   |   | 4,514 |   |   | 3,250 |   |   | 2,333 |   |   | 2,873 |   |   | 2,662 |   |
| Total Fixed Charges               |   | $                                                                                                                                                                                         | 42,188  |   |   |   | $ | 40,693 |   | $ | 33,799 |   | $ | 31,147 |   | $ | 29,844 |   | $ | 28,471 |   |
|                              |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                              |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Ratio of Earnings to Fixed        |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Charges                           |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      | 2.51    |   |   |   |   | 2.78 |   |   | 2.80 |   |   | 2.78 |   |   | 2.79 |   |   | 2.22 |   |
|                              |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                              |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                              |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

 

 

 

 

 

 

LACLEDE GAS COMPANY

 

SCHEDULE OF COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

 

 

|                         |   | **                           Twelve Months Ended** |   |
|------------------------------|--------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|
|                         |   | **Dec. 31,**                                                                                                                                                                              |   |   |   | **September 30,** |   |
| (Thousands of Dollars)       |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      | 2006   |   |   |   |   | 2006 |   |   | 2005 |   |   | 2004 |   |   | 2003 |   |   | 2002 |   |
|                         |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Income before interest       |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| charges and income taxes     |   | $                                                                                                                                                                                         | 68,586 |   |   |   | $ | 72,077 |   | $ | 72,092 |   | $ | 73,956 |   | $ | 76,274 |   | $ | 56,154 |   |
| Add: One third of applicable |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| rentals charged to operating |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| expense (which approximates  |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| the interest factor)         |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      | 1,345  |   |   |   |   | 1,291 |   |   | 938 |   |   | 538 |   |   | 457 |   |   | 315 |   |
| Total Earnings               |   | $                                                                                                                                                                                         | 69,931 |   |   |   | $ | 73,368 |   | $ | 73,030 |   | $ | 74,494 |   | $ | 76,731 |   | $ | 56,469 |   |
|                         |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                         |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Interest on long-term debt   |   | $                                                                                                                                                                                         | 22,312 |   |   |   | $ | 22,329 |   | $ | 22,835 |   | $ | 22,010 |   | $ | 20,169 |   | $ | 20,820 |   |
| Other interest               |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      | 11,560 |   |   |   |   | 10,236 |   |   | 4,076 |   |   | 3,192 |   |   | 3,752 |   |   | 4,285 |   |
| Add: One third of applicable |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| rentals charged to operating |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| expense (which approximates  |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| the interest factor)         |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      | 1,345  |   |   |   |   | 1,291 |   |   | 938 |   |   | 538 |   |   | 457 |   |   | 315 |   |
| Total Fixed Charges          |   | $                                                                                                                                                                                         | 35,217 |   |   |   | $ | 33,856 |   | $ | 27,849 |   | $ | 25,740 |   | $ | 24,378 |   | $ | 25,420 |   |
|                         |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                         |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Ratio of Earnings to Fixed   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Charges                      |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      | 1.99   |   |   |   |   | 2.17 |   |   | 2.62 |   |   | 2.89 |   |   | 3.15 |   |   | 2.22 |   |
|                         |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                         |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                         |   |                                                                                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |