The company has revealed that it is seeking permission to reduce fuel rates for its customers for a second time in three months.

If approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), the current fuel rate decrease, combined with one implemented on July 1, would offset for residential customers nearly all of the impact of previously requested rate increases that took effect September 1, the company said.

Dominion’s new fuel rate request would reportedly lower the bill of a typical residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month by about 2%, or $2.19 from current rates. Combined with an interim adjustment made in July, total fuel-rate reductions would be about 5.4% or $5.83 a month, subject to final approval of the SCC.

In presenting the proposal to the SCC, the company cited lower costs for coal, natural gas and other fuels used to generate electricity, lower purchased power costs and superior operating performance at its power stations.

Paul D. Koonce, chief executive officer of Dominion Virginia Power, said: “Fuel costs have continued to decline since we proposed our initial adjustment. We are taking the opportunity to update our pending application while the proceeding is still going on so our customers can benefit sooner from these lower costs.”

The company proposes that the additional reduction in the fuel rate take effect October 1, subject to final approval of the SCC.

Dominion Virginia Power has already implemented, on an interim basis, a previously requested base rate increase of 5%, or $5.22 a month, for a typical residential customer. That increase is subject to SCC approval before becoming final. It is said to be the first increase in the base rate in nearly 17 years.

The company said that SCC has authority to adjust the interim rates based on its investigation as well as input from its staff, the state Office of the Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Counsel and customers.

Also going into effect was a separate increase of about 1.1%, or $1.11 per month, for a typical residential customer for electric transmission costs. This increase, also previously requested, was approved June 29 by the SCC.