The average Ouray County homeowner would see their natural gas bill increase by more than $6 a month, while the average small commercial customer in the county would see their bill increase by more than $26 a month, under a rate hike proposed by Black Hills Energy.

Black Hills, which serves mostly rural areas in southwestern, west-central, northeast and southeast Colorado, including Ouray County, is asking the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to approve a $26.7 million increase in base rates ...