On Monday I received a rather thick envelope in the mail from Dominion North Carolina Power. Inside was a filing that Dominion had made with the State Utilities Commission requesting an increase in rates for retail electrical service of approximately 14%. They go on to explain later in the letter that this translates to just a couple of extra dollars here or there, depending on the season.

This is part of the process that they must go through in order to raise the rates. Notification of all customers, holding public hearings (Manteo, September 1 at 7 p.m. at the Courthouse) to receive the testimony of public witness. I believe the translation of this is we will sit and listen to you for an hour or two if it will mean more money for us.

The main reason for the request for increase are changes in the cost of fuel.

To see the full letter click here Dominion Rate Increase Notification.

This will not be the last rate increase. Do something to increase your energy efficiency… whether increasing insulation, changing that leaky window, using more efficient appliances and making it a practice to conserve energy. Installing a renewable energy solution is a good long term investment against rising energy costs. Its time we all change our habits, so we won’t be using our money to fill Dominion’s Piggy bank.

Maybe this will be a visual reminder to our elected representatives to promote renewable energy incentives…

you can visit this Windspire at the Botanical Gardens adjacent to Capitol Hill.