Public Service Commission approves Duke Energy bill increases for customers

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Public Service Commission of South Carolina has unanimously approved the annual review of base rates for fuel costs.

Now that the bill has been approved, the average monthly bill for customers will increase by 7.1 percent starting Nov. 1.

Duke Energy said the total monthly impact of these rate changes for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month would be an increase of $9.14.

Rates for commercial customers will increase 5.5 percent and rates for industrial customers will increase 6.2 percent.

The impacts for average General Service, Lighting, and Industrial customers vary by customer, but are approximate increases of 5.5 percent, 2.1 percent, and 6.1 percent, respectively.

Duke Energy said energy providers across the country have been impacted by a sharp rise in fuel costs over the past couple of years. In fact, over the past two years, costs for the fuel the company needed to meet customer demand nearly doubled. The company does not profit from these increased fuel costs and proactively takes measures to insulate customers from volatility.

The company mentioned that customers struggling to pay their energy bills might qualify for assistance from various government and nonprofit programs for utility bills and other household expenses, or from the Share the Light Fund, a Duke Energy program that provides energy assistance.

Duke Energy also offers programs and resources to help customers, as well as flexible payment arrangements to help customers experiencing uncertainty keep their accounts in good standing.

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