PWC customers in Fayetteville sound off over upcoming rate hike: 'Nobody's happy'
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Customers of the Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) will soon see higher electricity bills, with a 6.5% rate hike set to take effect in May. The increase, which follows a recent public hearing, could push average monthly bills up by $16 by 2027.
For many residents, affordability remains a top concern. Some, like Janet Menzak, say they feel left out of the decision-making process. Menzak, who moved to Fayetteville from Pennsylvania three years ago, said she was unable to attend the public hearing because it was scheduled for 8:30 a.m., a time when many are at work. Instead, she reached out to PWC by email but never received a response.
She expressed frustration that her concerns seemed to fall on deaf ears. "I said, how dare you even suggest this outrageous hike?" Menzak recalled.
The effects of rising costs
Menzak says she hoped to escape the high cost of living when she moved south, but rising expenses have been relentless.
"Everything is going up, you know, between your property taxes and your insurance and of course, your utilities, just everything going up. This (is) the slow creep. And I said, now, now it's just this giant jump, this 6.5% that they want to do this year. And then another thing, 6.5% next year. Like that's, that's a big jump. So it makes you curious as to what, you know, why."
PWC says the new rates will boost overall revenue by 5.5% during the next two years.
What does this mean for customers' wallets?
In 2025, the average PWC customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month paid $123.45.
By May, that bill is expected to rise to $131.47, and by 2027, it could reach $140.06 - a $16 increase in just two years.
Michael Shockey, a veteran living on a fixed income, says the news comes as no surprise but is still disappointing.
"I wasn't all that surprised because everything else seems to be teetering up a little higher. And honestly, all the people that I've talked to, nobody's happy about it," Shockey said.
"It's not the big guys who get hurt. It's the little guys," he added.
Why are rates rising?
In a statement to ABC11, PWC said, "Unfortunately, uncontrollable cost increases are outpacing cost savings exponentially."
PWC, Fayetteville's city-owned utility, purchases most of its electricity wholesale from Duke Energy. The utility, which also provides water and sewer services to Fayetteville and Hope Mills, expects to pay an extra $16 million annually for power from Duke Energy.
For residents like Menzak, the rate hikes have sparked difficult decisions about how to manage household expenses. When asked if she would consider going without electricity to make her point, Menzak replied, "Yeah, yeah."
She says she's always looking for new ways to cut costs, from keeping her home cooler than usual to washing clothes during off-peak hours.
PWC said the cost of delivering safe and reliable electric services has increased, which requires increased prices.
According to J.D. Power, average utility prices have risen 34% since 2020. PWC electric rates, including the May 1 increase, have risen 16.5% since then, about half of the national average, as a result of continuing to cut costs whenever possible before raising rates, the utility said.
"Our priority at PWC is to continue delivering safe, reliable, and affordable electric, water, and wastewater services to all of our customers," said Timothy Bryant, CEO/General Manager of Fayetteville PWC. "Before PWC considered any rate increase, staff was intentional about spending and implemented significant cost-saving measures across the business. Unfortunately, uncontrollable cost increases are outpacing cost savings exponentially."
For additional information about the rate adjustments, visit FayPWC.com.
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