A 17 percent increase in residential electricity rates recently filed by Duke Power was labeled “breathtaking!” by the Greenville News editorial board and AARP South Carolina agrees.

See Also: Fighting to Save You Money on Utilities

Upstate residents living on fixed incomes and others whose retirement and savings nest eggs dwindled during this economic downturn report to AARP South Carolina they are already stretching to make ends meet. Unlike older South Carolinians who are struggling, Duke just posted more than $400 million in second quarter profits.

Now is not the time for a double-digit increase in residential utility rates!

Going forward, the South Carolina Public Service Commission will ultimately decide if this rate request should be approved. If the PSC were to approve Duke Power’s current request, it would translate into an average monthly increase of $15 per customer or $180 per year.

What can you do?

File a letter of protest with the PSC online or by mail.

The docket number for this request is 2011-271-E (insert this number on the protest form). You can either file it electronically or print and mail to the address in the upper left corner.

Attend a public hearing: Oct. 19 6p.m. Spartanburg Community College Tracy Gaines Auditorium, 800 Brisack Road, Spartanburg, SC 29303.

Share this article with your friends and family and encourage them to become active in this issue.

AARP South Carolina will continue to follow and alert you to updates on this issue. We’ll also keep information current on our website and on our Facebook and Twitter.

We are rolling up our sleeves to help South Carolina residents keep money in their pockets and hope we can count on you.