Associated Press Published

Mountaineer Gas Asking for Rate Increase

Gas, natural gas, pipeline, energy, valve

Mountaineer Gas Co. has asked the Public Service Commission for a rate increase.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the company requested an increase in base rates and charges for natural gas service that it provides to more than 200,000 customers in West Virginia.

The newspaper reports the monthly bill for an average residential customer would increase by $3.87, or 6.4 percent, while average commercial customers would see an increase of $12.45, or 5.05 percent, and industrial customers would see an average increase of $165.16, or 9.86 percent.

Public Service Commission spokeswoman Susan Small says the gas company proposed making the new rates effective April 5, but the commission suspended that date for 270 days based on the number of customers.