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Your power bill could get a little higher, Duke Energy plans rate hike for August

The power company has been going back and forth with the NC Utilities Commission for the last few months. Now they're holding public hearings across the state.

NORTH CAROLINA, USA — We all pay what seems like an endless list of bills: mortgage, rent, car insurance, health insurance, car loan, student loan, water, trash and, of course, the power.

Duke Energy has 7.2 million customers nationwide. For customers in North Carolina, the power bill might go up by the end of this year.

Duke Energy put in a request to raise its rates back in August 2019. Since then, they've been going back and forth with the North Carolina Utilities Commission to iron out all the details.

For day-to-day, residential customers, the rate would go up about 6.8%.

Duke's goal is to bring in about $290.8 million dollars in added revenue with the rate hike. They say they need the money to pay for modernizing electricity systems, efficiently restoring power after storms, generating cleaner power and closing coal ash basins.

The goal is to put the rate hike into effect by August 1, 2020, but not before the power company hears from you.

The North Carolina Utilities Commission ordered there be several public hearings around our state. One is in Alamance County.

It's your chance to voice any concerns you have over a Duke Energy rate hike. The hearing is on January 29 at 7 p.m. at the Historic Alamance County Courthouse in Graham.

RELATED: Duke Energy, state regulators, and environmentalists reach agreement to permanently close all remaining coal ash basins in NC

RELATED: Duke Energy sued for environmental harm in the 2014 coal ash spill

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