SC Electric & Gas ratepayers may find this surprising.

The company is asking state regulators to let it lower its rates — not for electricity but for natural gas.

SCE&G officials credit the federal tax cuts and its own operating results.

The Lexington County-based subsidiary of SCANA filed with the Public Service Commission and the Office of Regulatory Staff a request for a $22.6 million — 5.29% – decrease to its retail natural gas rates.

Although they say the decrease is the result of lower corporate tax rates, they are not applying that same savings to electric customers.

SCE&G continues to bill its business and home owner customers $37 million a month for its failed $9 billion nuclear reactor project.

State lawmakers spent the 2018 sessions unsuccessfully trying to find a way to stop the rate charges and refund ratepayers almost $2 billion they paid for the failed project.

SCE&G filed for a decrease under the terms of the Natural Gas Rate Stabilization Act. That state law was designed to improve and maintain natural gas service infrastructure to meet customers’ needs, SCE&G officials said in a news release last week.

If approved, the rate cut would begin in the first billing cycle of November.

Residential natural gas customers would pay about 7.4%, or $4.09 a month less based on average use.