Customers speak about Duke Energy rate increase

Under the plan, people with an average monthly bill of $100 a month would go up about $18.

Duke Energy says their rates are approximately 31 percent below the national average and approximately 24 percent below the average in this region.

Officials said this is the first general rate increase since 1991. However earlier this year, Duke Energy did tack on an additional 4.5 percent to help offset rising fuel costs.