Residents argue against proposed Duke Energy rate hikes

The company's proposal says customers for an average home would pay an additional $25.55 per month by October 2025.
Posted 3/15/2023, 3:02:33 AM Updated 3/15/2023, 12:58:45 PM

AT ANOTHER VEHICLE AND BULLET

STRUCK THE SHOPPING CENTER

THERE. BUT NO ONE WAS HURT IN

THAT SHOOTING. TONIGHT, OUTRAGE

AMONG DUKE ENERGY PROGRESS

CUSTOMERS ABOUT A PROPOSED RATE

HIKE. RATES COULD GO UP BY AS

MUCH AS $25 BY OCTOBER OF 2025.

>> WRAL'S JULIAN GRACE SAID IN

ON THAT MEETING TONIGHT,

JULIAN, MOST WERE ADAMANTLY

OPPOSED. I IMAGINE.

>> WE KNOW YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY

RIGHT. THERE WERE SOME PRETTY

COMPELLING ARGUMENTS AGAINST

THAT RATE HIKE INSIDE THIS

BUILDING HERE EARLIER TONIGHT.

AND ALSO I SPOKE TO A DUKE

ENERGY REPRESENTATIVE AND HE

TELLS ME THE HIKE WOULD

STRENGTHEN WIRES AND ALSO

IMPROVE RESPONSE TIMES DURING

A BLACKOUT.

>> THE REASON I'M HERE IN FRONT

OF A BOARD OF 6 UTILITY

COMMISSIONERS, DUKE ENERGY

CUSTOMERS GAVE TESTIMONY WHY

THEY CAN'T AFFORD A RATE HIKE.

ULTIMATELY THIS PROPOSAL

DOESN'T MEET THE NEEDS OF NORTH

CAROLINIANS THAT WE BOUGHT A

HOUSE HERE IN 2014.

EXPECTING THIS TO BE

RETIREMENT. THE RATES ARE

GETTING OUT OF HAND. WE ARE

LOOKING TO RELOCATE AGAIN.

WHAT I AM. WITH MIKE IS.

>> THE GOVERNOR OF NORTH

CAROLINA. TO INTERFERE IN THE

HALF AS WELL. THAT THEY'VE DONE

IN OTHER STATES.

BY NOT IS NOT THE BEGINNING.

OCTOBER FIRST, THE MONTHLY

IMPACT FOR TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL

CUSTOMER WOULD SEE AN 11%

INCREASE WHICH WOULD TOTAL

ABOUT $14 AND $0.72.

>> AND A 5% INCREASE IN OCTOBER

OF 2024. AND THEN A 4.7%

INCREASE IN 2025. BRINGING THE

TOTAL RATE HIKE TO

$25.55. WE AS A DUKE ENERGY

WRAP. IF THE COMPANY HAS

EXHAUSTED ALL OPTIONS BEFORE

ASKING FOR THIS HIGH, WE THINK

THESE ARE NECESSARY TO INCREASE

IS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.

WE DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY TO

INCREASE RATES. WE'VE DONE

EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO

MANAGE OUR OPERATING COSTS,

REDUCING.

>> ARE ARE OPERATING NUMBERS

DOWN SO THAT WE CAN BE MORE

EFFICIENT AS A COMPANY OVER THE

NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.

TESTIMONIES WILL CONTINUE

GIVING COMMISSIONERS A LOT TO

THINK WHY WE SHOULD BE PAYING.

>> ANY MORE HIGHER THAN WHAT

WE'VE ALREADY PAID. I BELIEVE

IN MY HOME FOR 17 YEARS.

>> THOSE TESTIMONIES WILL

CONTINUE. LENA. THE NEXT PUBLIC

HEARING IS SCHEDULED IN SNOW

HILL ON MARCH. 20TH, WE ARE

TOLD WE'RE ALSO LEARNING AND

THAT THERE WERE ALSO BE A

VIRTUAL OPTION. SO EVERYONE

THAT WANTS TO WEIGH IN CAN

WEIGH IN

© WRAL