Asheville, let’s use our powers for good! Duke Energy wants to raise the rates for homeowners and businesses by about $19 for every 1,000 kilowatt-hours. Let’s look at other numbers. The monthly energy usage of a large place of worship is 83,000 kHw and a small business is 41,000 kwh. This would account for an added $1,577 expense for your church and $779 for the small business each month. When businesses’ costs go up, guess who foots the bill? The cost will go up for us, the consumers. What services will your place of worship have to compromise to counter this expense?
What do we get for the $228 a year to Duke Energy? Do we get better jobs, more education or a stronger local economy? No, but for $45 bucks a year we get that at A-B Tech. And A-B Tech will expire; the Duke Energy fees will not.
Asheville — and North Carolina — we can do amazing things. Politicians will listen to us and we can make real change. Let’s make sure our voice and energy is worth our precious time. Is your voice worth $228 a year for the rest of your life or $45 a year over the next 20? Talk to your representatives and let them know how you feel!
— Mark Strazzer
Asheville
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