Duke customers may speak out on proposed rate jumps

A state office which looks out for the public interests is alerting Duke Energy customers to the opportunity to speak out on the electric utility’s plans to raise commercial and industry customer charges.  Earlier this month Duke said it is seeking to recover costs for the fuel used to generate electricity for South Carolina homes and businesses.  And, according to Duke, the state Public Service Commission will consider the rates in a public evidentiary hearing where it will also hear the results of an extensive audit and inquiries of the parties involved in the case “to ensure an accurate adjustment is made to billed rates.” Figures made public by the state Office of Regulatory Staff in Columbia show Duke Energy is requesting approval of the state Public Service Commission to raise the rate for commercial customers by 5.6% and industrial customers by 6.2%.  The PSC will formally hear Duke’s application at 10 am Tuesday, September 26 in Columbia.  Hank Page, public information spokesman for the ORS, says the total monthly impact of the changes for residential customers starting November 1, if approved by the PSC, would be an increase of $9.23 (from $129.36 to $138.59), or 7.1%.  Meantime, Page says, “Our analysts are still reviewing information and working on what our office will propose, if anything; so, we don’t have any (of our) numbers of that sort to share yet.”  A Duke customer may be heard in-person at the September 26 hearing or by filling out a Letter of Protest on the PSC’s website.