The Chattanooga Gas Company has petitioned the Tennessee Public Utility Commission (TPUC) to approve a rate hike that would raise $6.2 million in income.
The increase would be 19.5 percent.
The firm said it would be its first rate increase in eight years.
There will be a hearing on Thursday at 4 p.m.
at the Raccoon Mountain Room at UTC for public comment.
Chattanooga Gas said, "Overall, the rate request is driven by the increased capital costs associated with meeting new growth opportunities and securing adequate natural gas supply to meet present and future growth. Rate relief is also justified to meet increasingly stringent state and federal compliance standards and to increase the investment in new employees and additional training programs since over 50 percent of CGC's workforce is eligible to retire in the next three years."
The company cited millions of dollars in recent upgrades.