Exhibit 12

 

 THE LACLEDE GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES

 

SCHEDULE OF COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

 

|                              |   | **Twelve Months Ended** |    |
|-----------------------------------|--------|-------------------------|---------|
|                              |   | **March 31,**           |    |   |   | **September 30,** |   |
| (Thousands of Dollars)            |   |                    | 2006    |   |   |   |   | 2005 |   |   | 2004 |   |   | 2003 |   |   | 2002 |   |   | 2001 |   |
|                              |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Income before interest            |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| charges and income taxes          |   | $                       | 104,828 |   |   |   | $ | 91,435 |   | $ | 84,196 |   | $ | 80,270 |   | $ | 60,440 |   | $ | 73,742 |   |
| Add: One third of applicable      |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| rentals charged to operating      |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| expense (which approximates       |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| the interest factor)              |   |                    | 3,948   |   |   |   |   | 3,250 |   |   | 2,333 |   |   | 2,873 |   |   | 2,662 |   |   | 313 |   |
| Total Earnings                    |   | $                       | 108,776 |   |   |   | $ | 94,685 |   | $ | 86,529 |   | $ | 83,143 |   | $ | 63,102 |   | $ | 74,055 |   |
|                              |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                              |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Interest on long-term debt – |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Laclede Gas                       |   | $                       | 22,570  |   |   |   | $ | 22,835 |   | $ | 22,010 |   | $ | 20,169 |   | $ | 20,820 |   | $ | 18,372 |   |
| Other interest                    |   |                    | 10,590  |   |   |   |   | 7,714 |   |   | 6,804 |   |   | 6,802 |   |   | 4,989 |   |   | 10,067 |   |
| Add: One third of applicable      |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| rentals charged to operating      |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| expense (which approximates       |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| the interest factor)              |   |                    | 3,948   |   |   |   |   | 3,250 |   |   | 2,333 |   |   | 2,873 |   |   | 2,662 |   |   | 313 |   |
| Total Fixed Charges               |   | $                       | 37,108  |   |   |   | $ | 33,799 |   | $ | 31,147 |   | $ | 29,844 |   | $ | 28,471 |   | $ | 28,752 |   |
|                              |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                              |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Ratio of Earnings to Fixed        |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Charges                           |   |                    | 2.93    |   |   |   |   | 2.80 |   |   | 2.78 |   |   | 2.79 |   |   | 2.22 |   |   | 2.58 |   |
|                              |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                              |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                              |   |                    |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

 

 

 

 

 

 

LACLEDE GAS COMPANY

 

SCHEDULE OF COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

 

 

|                         |   | **Twelve Months Ended** |   |
|------------------------------|--------|-------------------------|--------|
|                         |   | **March 31,**           |   |   |   | **September 30,** |   |
| (Thousands of Dollars)       |   |                    | 2006   |   |   |   |   | 2005 |   |   | 2004 |   |   | 2003 |   |   | 2002 |   |   | 2001 |   |
|                         |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Income before interest       |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| charges and income taxes     |   | $                       | 74,902 |   |   |   | $ | 72,092 |   | $ | 73,956 |   | $ | 76,274 |   | $ | 56,154 |   | $ | 73,742 |   |
| Add: One third of applicable |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| rentals charged to operating |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| expense (which approximates  |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| the interest factor)         |   |                    | 1,141  |   |   |   |   | 938 |   |   | 538 |   |   | 457 |   |   | 315 |   |   | 313 |   |
| Total Earnings               |   | $                       | 76,043 |   |   |   | $ | 73,030 |   | $ | 74,494 |   | $ | 76,731 |   | $ | 56,469 |   | $ | 74,055 |   |
|                         |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                         |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Interest on long-term debt   |   | $                       | 22,570 |   |   |   | $ | 22,835 |   | $ | 22,010 |   | $ | 20,169 |   | $ | 20,820 |   | $ | 18,372 |   |
| Other interest               |   |                    | 6,970  |   |   |   |   | 4,076 |   |   | 3,192 |   |   | 3,752 |   |   | 4,285 |   |   | 10,067 |   |
| Add: One third of applicable |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| rentals charged to operating |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| expense (which approximates  |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| the interest factor)         |   |                    | 1,141  |   |   |   |   | 938 |   |   | 538 |   |   | 457 |   |   | 315 |   |   | 313 |   |
| Total Fixed Charges          |   | $                       | 30,681 |   |   |   | $ | 27,849 |   | $ | 25,740 |   | $ | 24,378 |   | $ | 25,420 |   | $ | 28,752 |   |
|                         |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                         |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Ratio of Earnings to Fixed   |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Charges                      |   |                    | 2.48   |   |   |   |   | 2.62 |   |   | 2.89 |   |   | 3.15 |   |   | 2.22 |   |   | 2.58 |   |
|                         |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                         |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                         |   |                    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |