CLARKSBURG, W.Va. -- Dominion Hope's residential customers could get a break on their monthly bills if West Virginia regulators approve the company's request to cut their rates by 3 percent.

Clarksburg-based Dominion Hope said Friday that the average residential customer using 73,000 cubic feet of natural gas would pay $51 a month, down from $53.

The rate cut would become effective Nov. 1, if it's approved by the West Virginia Public Service Commission.

Dominion Hope says its costs to buy natural gas were lower than expected last winter. The utility expects costs to continue to be lower than projected for the upcoming winter.

Dominion Hope serves about 115,000 customers in West Virginia.