Lynne Stevens
A hot topic around the kitchen table this month is the outsize family electric bill from Duke Energy serving Graham County.
Home, modular and mobile home owners are feeling the increase. Business will also not be spared.
Those little thin, mini-size white papers many folks can’t see without a magnifying glass attempt to tell the tale.
The gist is in January, your bill went up by 7.7 percent.
In January 2025, your bill will increase another 3 percent. In January 2026, yet another 3.2 percent or about 14 percent. That does not include periodic fuel adjustments.
The North Carolina Utilities Commission regulates the rates of Duke, who is a monopoly electric provider. We cannot choose our electric company and the commission is supposed to protect us from overzealous rate increases when there is no competition and no public advocate.
There are currently seven commissioners appointed by the Governor with the consent of the North Carolina General Assembly who serve for six years.
The legislature approved a new format of a five-person utilities commission with three appointed by the Governor and two by the state legislature to start in 2025.
The current rate increase is causing angry customers to take to the phones in protest.
Duke will now be able to take money now to contract for future infrastructure three years in the future. Over those three years, Duke states it will build resiliency in the grid and build out the foundations of more efficient delivery of electricity which will save customers money.
Is the public helpless? Maybe not, as it looks like Duke is getting it from all sides.
On Feb. 14, North Carolina State Attorney General Josh Stein filed to challenge the utilities commission decision to grant this rate increase to Duke Energy Carolina’s (the petition is online). Among the issues is the rate of return-on-equity, which was increased to 10.1 percent. The state maintains the rate is excessive and accuses the commission of failing to consider the rate increase impact on North Carolina’s families. Advocates of renewable energy have also taken to the courts, complaining of reduced payments for those who return solar electricity to the Duke grid.
Duke is credited with production of renewable energy for these payments. It is interesting to note that North Carolina had been a shining star, and a leader in production of solar energy and reducing the
payment to solar providers could throw cold water on would be solar users.
Solar equipment – they note – is not free and the incentives are being significantly reduced by some estimates of up to 30 percent.
Families struggling to pay these increased rates can go to Consumer Assistance Programs at duke-energy.com for income-qualified programs to help.
Lynne Stevens writes a bi-weekly column for The Graham Star. She can be reached via email, geminga@mailfence.com.