Michigan regulators have approved a 9.2 percent natural-gas rate increase for 300,000 customers of SEMCO Energy Gas.
The utility will use the nearly $20 million rate increase to replace gas mains and initiate an infrastructure reliability-improvement program.
The Port Huron-based company delivers natural gas to customers in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula, including St. Joseph and Cass counties, and in parts of the Upper Peninsula.
The Michigan Public Service Commission said a residential customer using an average amount of natural gas will pay about $6 more per month as a result.