GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina utility regulators are reducing a proposed rate increase that would affect 591,000 Duke Energy customers.
The Greenville News reports the utility requested last year to increase its Residential Basic Facilities Rate charge from $8.29 to $28. That would have resulted in a yearly increase of $237 per customer in energy costs.
The company later agreed to lower the charge to either $11.70 or $13.09.
The state Public Service Commission said in a directive Wednesday that Duke Energy executives were “tone deaf” about how a 238% increase would negatively affect older, disabled, low-income and low-use customers.
The commission, in coming weeks, is expected to announce a final decision on the amount of the rate increase.
Regulators also recommended that the company’s CEO and Duke Energy executives take pay cuts.
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Information from: The Greenville News, http://www.greenvillenews.com
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