Last Updated 2 weeks by Amnon J. Jobi | Amnon Front Page
Duke Energy plans to raise electric service rates by nearly 6.5% over three years.
Duke requested the proposed rate hikes in an application filed in April with Ohio’s Public Utilities Commission (PCU). Public hearings in Cincinnati were held on Sept. 9 and now the PCU is hearing evidence.
The company tells WCPO the rates would increase over three years. By the end of that period, your bill would amount to about $11.27 more per month or about $135 more yearly.
If approved, the increase will start in Ohio on June 1, 2025, and go through May 31, 2028. The rate increase would not include Northern Kentucky, where Duke also provides electric service.
Duke had previously hit homeowners with a rate hike in June 2023, raising its generation fee from $0.06 per kilowatt hour to $.10. For Cincinnatian Donna Eubanks, another jump in her bill is alarming.
“First off, they’re already high, so to raise rates, that’s going to make it hard for people that don’t already have it,” Eubanks said. “I work at a hotel, you feel me? My gas and lights already (like $300-something).”
Public hearings are over but customers can still have their voices heard. You can submit comments that will be submitted for Ohio’s Public Utilities Commission to consider by visiting the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel website.
Customers can shop for alternatives to Duke-provided electricity on the Energy Choice Ohio site. However, third-party suppliers, like Cincinnati Gas & Electric often sign customers up for lower rates before increasing them over time.
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