'We are going to get them out': Lucama residents say town doubled their electric bills

Residents in Lucama questioned town leaders after seeing a spike in their electric bills.

The bills more than doubled for some households. One resident said their monthly bill went from $176 to $442.

“We are the most expensive people,” one resident said. “Why? I don’t not know.”

WRAL News was in the room when residents asked town leaders for answers.

“You can’t explain, ‘Oh, it is a hot month,’ or ‘Your AC is running to all of these people,'” another resident said.

Darlene Newsome, a town administrator, provided one answer to the residents of Lucama.

“Why are rates going up? It goes back to we were losing money,” she explained.

According to Newsome, the town needed to raise the electric rate by 15% to cover a $670,000 deficit for electricity.

Newsome said the town would absorb the 10% while residents would pay 5%. However, when Lucama could not afford the cost, the residents saw another hike.

Town administrators said the town has recently replaced the meters and has been investigating claims that their meters are reading incorrectly.

After the public hearing ended with no pathway for residents to lower their electric bills, they held an impromptu meeting outside.

The residents said they would take their complaints to the state regulatory commission.

“We are going to get them out,” One resident said.