Residential Rates
PWC has full authority to establish and change the rates that are charged for electric, water, and wastewater services within its service area. Rate schedule classifications are based, as closely as practicable, on the costs incurred by PWC in providing these services. PWC reviews rates annually and provides rate recommendations to the PWC Board. A public hearing is required ahead of the adoption of any rate changes.
PWC rates for electric, water, and sewer services are among the lowest in the region and state. When customers compare their total PWC bill to that of other utilities, for most they need to review the individual utility service and amount consumed, not the total bill. Most PWC customers have multiple services because PWC provides electric, water and wastewater services, whereas Duke Energy, Lumbee River EMC, South River EMC, and Aqua NC only provide one service.
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About proposed rate adjustments:
- Utility rates are driven by cost of supplying safe, reliable utility services. Inflation, Supply Chain, Capital Investments, required reserves are current key factors that are driving need for rate increases.
- The main driver in electric rates are power supply costs for buying power from our wholesale provider Duke Energy Progress. In 2020, PWC was able to reduce electric rates by 4.7%, however the increased costs now require us to make adjustments. These changes will bring rates back to where they were before the 2020 decrease. Without the rate increases, reliability (rehabilitation and replacement) projects, planning for growth and preparation for new environmental regulations will be delayed.
- All Electric providers are impacted by the same rising costs to provide electric services as PWC and neighboring providers have increased rates or announced upcoming increases. With the proposed increases, PWC still remains among the lowest compared to our neighboring electric providers.
The impact of the proposed adjustments:
- A customer using 1,000 kwh would have a $2.39 increase in May 2024 and $2.38 in May of 2025.
- While these increases are anticipated, the temporary Power Supply Adjustment (PSA) charged to customers since August 2023, will end in August 2024. The PSA is $6.35 per 1000 kwh.
- Also ending in May 2025, is the Coal Ash Charge ($2 reduction for residential customers)
How rates fund reliable electric service:
- Replace aging Substations and transformers.
- Replace high voltage wooden transmission poles from wood poles to steel poles that strengthens the grid against storm damage and extends the life of the poles beyond what wood style poles allow.
- Replace aging underground electric cable and devices, improving reliability and avoiding lengthy outages caused when underground wires/systems fail.
- Add new solar generation resources that allows PWC to gain the highest value from its Duke Energy Progress contract and provide additional renewable energy to PWC’s customers.
Current Rates
What is a basic facility charge?
Electric
Effective Sept. 1, 2024
- Summary
- R.B.1 Residential Service
- R.B.20 Residential Service Additional Meter
- R.B.21 LED Lighting
- R.B.11 NC Renewable Energy Rider
- R.B.12 Buy All Sell All
- R.B.26 Residential Service Whole Home (Super Off Peak) (Optional rate, click to learn more)
- R.B.28 Renewable Energy Buy Back Rider
- Power Supply Adjustment (PSA)
- Coal Ash Fee
- R.B.23 Community Solar Rider
Water
Effective May 1, 2024