The utility said that, when combined with the end of a transition charge related to Ohio’s electric customer choice legislation, typical residential customers’ bills will be lower than they currently are.
For a typical residential customer using 1,000kWh of electricity per month, the monthly bill will decrease 1.5% from $111.35 to $109.64, based on Duke Energy Ohio’s current rates for delivery and standard generation service. The total bill may vary for customers receiving generation service from a supplier other than Duke Energy.
Since its last electric delivery rate case in 2005, Duke Energy Ohio has invested more than $235 million in reliability improvements and in expansion of its system to meet new customer demands, including new substations and distribution circuits. The requested rate change would reportedly recognize the additional investment.
To make customer bills more even throughout the year, Duke Energy Ohio is proposing to increase the monthly fixed delivery charge from $4.50 to $10, with an offsetting reduction in the usage-based charge. The fixed charge will cover substantially all costs of billing, metering and certain equipment necessary to serve customers on demand.
Sandra Meyer, president of Duke Energy Ohio, said: As customers use more sophisticated electronics and systems in their homes and businesses, they tell us that reliability of their electric service is becoming even more critical. To meet our customers’ increasing needs, we are making additional investments in our delivery system to improve reliability and reduce the length of power outages.
