Customers will see a sharp rise in their bills from Summit Natural Gas this winter.

The company serves Cumberland, Falmouth, Yarmouth and the Kennebec Valley.

The Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday approved the company’s request for an annual “cost of gas adjustment.”

According to the Portland Press Herald, it would set the price at $2.29 per therm, which is a unit of heat energy.

An average home using 71 therms a month would see bills more than double, from just over $78 to a little over $163.

The approved rate is based on ongoing estimates of the cost of buying enough fuel to supply customers.

It represents a pass-through cost that doesn’t add to Summit’s profits.

The approval is separate from Summit’s request to boost its distribution rate due to rising costs for labor, maintenance and goods and services.