Public Hearings Scheduled in the Pee Dee On Duke Energy’s Proposed Fee Hike
Groups encourage customers to attend the hearings and speak out against the unjust fee hike
February 21, 2019 – Two public hearings have been scheduled in the Pee Dee on the topic of Duke Energy’s proposed fee hike. Before going into effect, the fee hike must be approved by the S.C. Public Service Commission, which has scheduled the hearings throughout Duke Energy’s service territory in order to hear from customers.
A coalition of public interest groups, including Consumer Reports, AARP South Carolina, National Association of Social Workers – SC Chapter, and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, encourage Duke Energy customers to attend the hearings and speak up about how the fee hike would negatively impact them.
Background: Duke Energy has proposed tripling the hidden mandatory fee on its customers’ bills—from about $8-$9 per month to $28-$29 per month. Since this “Basic Facilities Charge” must be paid each month, no matter how much or how little electricity is used, customers would have to pay at least $336 per year before even flipping on a light switch. If approved, this would be one of the highest mandatory monthly fees for residential customers of any investor-owned utility in the nation, and would place a particularly heavy burden upon low-usage customers including low-income families, seniors, and those using solar energy or energy efficiency/conservation.
To learn more about the proposed fee hike, please visit https://cleanenergy.org/blog/duke-energy-wants-you-to-pay-more-for-using-less-energy/
Details: Details on the public hearings are as follows:
Florence Hearing
Monday, April 1, 2019
6:00 pm
Florence County Council Chambers
180 N. Irby Street, MSC-G
Florence,SC 29501
Sumter Hearing
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
6:00 pm
USC Sumter – Nettles Auditorium
200 Miller Road
Sumter, SC 29150
Additional information on the public hearings can be found on the S.C. Public Service Commission’s website: https://dms.psc.sc.gov/Attachments/Matter/217f0dc0-2ad0-4ce1-abe6-aceac06a5922
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Since 1985, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has worked to promote responsible energy choices to ensure clean, safe and healthy communities throughout the Southeast. http://www.cleanenergy.org
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit member organization that works side by side with consumers for truth, transparency, and fairness in the marketplace. For more than 80 years, our research, journalism and media, and advocacy have led to safer products and fairer market practices. The advocacy division of CR directs our efforts to secure strong pro-consumer policies and practices in government and across industries. http://consumerreports.org/advocacy
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation’s largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit http://www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.
The National Association of Social Workers, South Carolina Chapter, is a membership organization of professional social workers that works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, and advocates on behalf of vulnerable groups served by social workers throughout the state. http://www.scnasw.org