Duke shuts off power to 500 each workday

[flashl]

Historic food, gas prices take toll on N.C. people who struggle to pay bills

As food and gas prices hit historic highs, Duke Energy is shutting off more customers this year because they can't pay their power bills.

Charlotte-based Duke, the largest utility in the Carolinas, disconnected 14 percent more N.C. customers during the first four months of this year compared with the same period last year, according to an Observer review of state records.

That's an average of more than 500 shut-offs every workday out of its 1.8 million N.C. customers. April saw a 38 percent surge over the same month last year as stretched families are being forced to make hard choices about which household expenses to put off.

Local aid agencies are feeling the financial stress, in particular Charlotte's Crisis Assistance Ministry, which helps families with emergency money and rent to avoid utility disconnections and evictions. The ministry is seeing record numbers this month.

The Charlotte Observer

[izzie]

1. That is so bad.

--

[midnight]

2. This economic attack from domestic energy co. has been brewing

for some time. It is a shame that the safety and inability to move forward in this country is the direct result of greed.