Plymouth-Canton gas customers will pay about $2.87 more per month starting Oct. 1 after state regulators approved a $74.52 million rate increase for DTE Gas.

The Michigan Public Service Commission approved the hike on Thursday, Sept. 10. Hours later, DTE Gas announced it plans to file for yet another increase, drawing criticism from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

"Not weeks, not days, but literally hours after securing a multi-million-dollar rate hike from the Commission, all while Michigan families struggle to keep their homes warm, DTE announced its intent to ask its customers for more," Nessel said in a statement Sept. 11.

DTE Gas, which serves 1.3 million customers statewide, had originally asked for a net increase of $162.7 million. The MPSC approved less than half that amount. Regulators also blocked $284.1 million in costs tied to a compressor station project, Planet Detroit reported.

The approved increase raises a typical residential bill by 3.34% for customers using 75 ccf of natural gas per month. A separate Infrastructure Recovery Mechanism surcharge will add another 68 cents per month starting Jan. 1, 2027.

Another filing on the way

DTE Gas plans to file notice in mid-November of its intent to seek an additional gas rate increase, according to Patch. The utility did not specify the dollar amount. The filing would cover a projected 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2028.

Michigan law allows utilities to file a rate increase request once per year. The mid-November notice is a required first step; the MPSC requires at least 60 days' notice before a formal rate request.

Renee Tomina, president and chief operating officer of DTE Gas, said the notice does not change anyone's bill and that DTE Gas bills are expected to remain below the average for cold-weather states in the Midwest and Northeast.

Electric rates could rise too

The gas cases are not the only DTE rate proceedings affecting Plymouth-Canton households. DTE Energy filed a separate case with the MPSC in April seeking $474 million in additional annual revenue for electric service, ClickOnDetroit reported. If approved, residential electric rates could rise about 10% starting in March 2027.

Officials in Wayne and Macomb counties are intervening in that electric rate case. A ruling is expected by mid-2027.

A Consumer Reports fact sheet released Sept. 10 found Michigan electricity prices have risen more than 17% over the past three years, and DTE has filed five rate cases in the past seven years, the consumer advocacy group reported.

Low-income help expanded

The MPSC also ordered DTE Gas to raise its low-income credit from $40 to $58, which the commission said covers roughly 70% of the average customer's bill. The MPSC directed the utility to improve how it communicates energy assistance programs to lower-income customers.

DTE Gas's mid-November notice will begin a multi-month review process before the MPSC. No public comment deadline has been set for the new case.