The cost of living is on the rise. For many South Carolinians, the pain of pinching pennies is felt from the grocery store to the gas station and now with the rising cost of electricity.
Rick Krasny, a retiree, says he knows the feeling all too well. The 70-year-old, like many other elderly citizens, has to budget what he spends and has self-admittedly become better at choosing between wants and necessities.
Krasny says that living on a fixed income has him paying more attention to financial obligations, especially after receiving a notice from Duke Energy alerting him of an increase in his monthly utility bill. Krasny had a feeling he would be paying a little more after seeing social media posts on unreasonably higher than usual electric bills but didn’t realize the full impact.
“When you hear about the price increase for everything it makes you worry a little,” Krasny said. “I'm not working. I don't go to work every day and have no income other than social security."
According to Krasny, repeated stories about power bills going from $150 to more than double—or in some cases in excess of $700—for one billing cycle were cause for concern. That's when he learned of a petition where some residents were challenging those numbers.
Lauren Cale was in a similar situation. While she is not retired, the hard-working mother of four was monitoring her electric usage to avoid the spike she says typically happens in her household around December and January. Cale thought her diligence paid off. She noticed a drop in energy usage, but to her dismay, Cale’s February Dominion Energy bill was $633 dollars.
"We have to come up with income we didn't know we needed to have,” Cale said. “We have high rent, high water, and now utilities, groceries, fuel rates - it’s everywhere. So now I have to come up with an extra 100 to 200 dollars. I guess I am going to have to go without."
After reaching out with questions, Cale decided to make a move to demand answers by using the same site Krasny found about the petition. Her petition for Midlands’ residents shared the same goal of seeing how Dominion Energy was spending their money and how to hold them accountable in the process by demanding an independent audit.
The issue resonated with other households. Signatures jumped from almost 600 in the first day to nearly 2,000 a week—most people asking why the cost for a necessity was so much higher. Both Duke and Dominion came with answers.
“We are aware of and appreciate customer concerns over the high seasonal bills. And we are committed to helping keep costs as low as possible for customers and providing help for customers experiencing challenges paying their bills,” said Duke Energy Public Affairs Manager Ryan Mosier.
Dominion also responded. The utility told South Carolina Public Radio "we are committed to helping our customers - including the most vulnerable - get the assistance they need."
Both agencies admit higher costs are never favorable but are sometimes necessary to provide safe and reliable services that can meet the needs of an expanding customer base. Utility officials say longer lasting cold snaps at the beginning of the year had many households using up to one-third more heating. On average that can represent about 50% of energy costs. Factor in extreme weather conditions, which can make a heat pump's auxiliary activate even if the thermostat is not being adjusted, and more people staying home from work and school during snow days—all can lead to more usage and higher costs.
Now, there could be even higher costs for Dominion customers. The Public Service Commission is evaluating Dominion's request for a 12.73% rate increase which would raise the average customer's monthly electric bill about $20. Dominion says the proposed increase will help the company keep up with a growing demand for electricity in the state.
The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs is hosting a series of public meetings to hear from customers about the potential rate hike. Details can be found here.
If you or someone you know needs assistance to help with heightened costs, both Duke Energy and Dominion Energy encourage customers to check out their billing and energy assistance programs.
Additionally, South Carolina ETV is exploring the future of energy in the state and what it could mean for you. In the first of a two-part series, This Week in South Carolina host Gavin Jackson sits down with the heads of the three major utilities in the state to discuss the growing need for electricity and how they plan to meet the demands. Watch the interviews here.