Business digest

REGION

Dominion East Ohio plans to increase rates

CLEVELAND — Dominion East Ohio said it is increasing the rate it charges customers who buy gas from the utility. Effective July 20, the Standard Service Offer will be $5.349 per thousand cubic feet, an increase of 41.1 cents or 8 percent.

The rate at the same time last year was $14.545. Dominion said the continuing recession has led to lower industrial demand, which has caused prices to fall since last year.

NATION

Have auto sales stopped month-to-month declines?

DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford’s top sales analyst said Monday U.S. auto sales may have stopped their month-to-month declines in June and could be down less than 30 percent for the first time since September of last year.

Automakers, which are due to report June sales in the U.S. on Wednesday, have seen sales fall 37 percent over the first five months of the year.

As bad as it sounds, a decline of less than 30 percent could be a welcome relief, as automakers and suppliers have trimmed production and other costs to adjust to lower consumer sales.

Associated Press