Duke Energy customers are reaching out to Channel 9 with concerns over rising electricity rates, and some are even saying the rise is forcing them to choose between feeding the family or paying the power bill.
The company is planning on raising rates as high as 15% over the next few years. Channel 9 reporter Ken Lemon learned that the biggest hit in that rate increase may come with your next bill.
An eight percent increase went into effect last month — Duke says for the average customer, that’s an increase of $10 a month. That will be followed by an additional $4 increase next January, and then another $4 the following year.
Some customers say that would be a reasonable increase on an average bill, but their bills aren’t average, according to those standards.
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Thomas Cornwell of Gastonia told Lemon on Friday that the simple act of flipping a light switch makes him feel caged.
“Imprisoned, like they are going to take everything you got just because you might have to run a light bulb or cook or have air conditioning,” Cornwell said.