SC customers say Dominion rate increase shouldn’t be approved during pandemic
Editor’s note: this story has been updated to note an extension in the sign-up period for the public to speak at future hearings on Dominion’s proposed rate increase.
While many S.C. households are struggling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, electric bills shouldn’t go up.
That was the argument of many who spoke at a hearing Monday on a proposed rate increase being sought by Dominion Energy for its 753,000 S.C. customers.
Energy customers who called into the virtual hearing by the S.C. Public Service Commission said the economic fallout of the ongoing pandemic is already putting enough stress on their wallets without dealing with the proposed increase that would go into effect next March.
“Between the doctor, bank fees and utility increases, it is getting hard to live,” said Cynthia Jordan, an Elgin retiree. “We were told Dominion would not increase rates, and now they are. It makes it hard to live on a fixed income.”
Shakeem Armstrong of West Columbia told commissioners that in the past year he’s been diagnosed with COVID-19, struggled to get unemployment benefits from the state and lost his car. He said he couldn’t handle an increase in his bills.
“My money can only stretch so far,” Armstrong said.
Dominion filed an application in August to increase its rates by around 7.7%. That would mean a monthly increase of $9.68 for the average residential customer if the rate hike is approved by the Public Service Commission. The commission could decide on the increase by Feb. 15.
The Virginia-based utility would raise an additional $178 million from the requested increase, according to Dominion’s application with the state’s Office of Regulatory Staff.
Monday’s online forum was the first of three the Public Service Commission is holding to get the public’s feedback on the proposed rate increase, with a couple of commission members in their Columbia hearing room taking testimony from witnesses either on the phone or online. The other hearings will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. The hearings can be viewed on the S.C. ETV website, and members of the public can sign up to speak before 3 p.m. Tuesday by calling (803) 896-5133.
Dominion serves customers in 24 counties in South Carolina, including much of the Midlands. Its last rate increase was approved in 2013 for its predecessor, S.C. Electric and Gas. Dominion bought the utility with its headquarters in Cayce after the failure of the company’s planned V.C. Summer nuclear plant sent SCE&G’s parent company SCANA into a financial tailspin.
Many of those who spoke Monday mentioned Dominion’s 2018 promise of $1,000 in relief checks if the company acquired SCANA, a promise that later took the form of a rate cut.
“I was promised a check for $1,000. Whatever happened to that?” said Louise Geddings of West Columbia. “It seems like the thing to do is go up, up, up and never down.”
Ratepayers did receive some relief after the failure of the nuclear project, with the average bill dropping from $147.70 in 2017 to $122.31 currently.
Harry Ott, president of the S.C. Farm Bureau, pointed out that Dominion is currently a profitable company paying out dividends to its shareholders, while farm bankruptcies in South Carolina have gone up 22% this year.
“If my fertilizer or tractor prices go up, I can go to the dealer and negotiate some relief,” Ott said. “We can’t negotiate with Dominion, but we can ask for relief from you.”
This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 10:56 AM.
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