CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Natural gas customers around the state will see their bills drop by 25 to 40 percent from last year, but for many, those savings will be short-lived.

Byron Harris, the state Public Service Commission's consumer advocate, says prices charged by the state's major providers for their costs to buy natural gas dropped on Nov. 1.

But the state's largest and second-largest providers of natural gas, Mountaineer Gas and Dominion Hope, have both asked for permission to increase their base rates to cover wages, equipment and other costs.

Harris says that even with the base rate increases, customers will still see significant savings compared to last year, when the average monthly bill was roughly $215.