West Virginia's Public Service Commission has approved a 5 percent rate increase for Hope Gas Inc.

The $8.78 million increase approved Friday is substantially smaller than the $34.4 million increase the utility had requested.

The company, which operates as Dominion Hope, has not received a rate increase since 2005. Officials say they need more money to cover non-gas operations and expenses, taxes, interest on customer deposits, dividend payments and interest on debt.

The commission deferred action on a plan by Hope's parent company, Dominion Resources Inc., to sell the West Virginia utility along with Dominion Peoples, Pittsburgh's largest natural gas utility.