As we know, Carolina Water Service, Inc. of North Carolina - Utilities, Inc. is a legal monopoly, and a corporation enjoying the new reduced corporate tax rate, under the watch of the Utility Commission. The Utility Commission sets the rates charged to the customers of Carolina Water Service, Inc. In the absence of natural free-market forces, we citizens rely on the Utility Commission to ensure rates charged are fair to customers.

Based on their revenues and rates of returns for January through December 2016, the Commission recently approved a rate increase for Carolina Water Service, Inc. of North Carolina - Utilities, Inc. Based on a claim that they did not earn their authorized “rate of return” on their rate base, which the NC Utilities Commission has set at 8.20%, the Commission authorized this rate increase. Since that rate increase, Brandywine residents noticed a significant increase in their monthly bills. As a long-time resident of Brandywine, we have noticed a nearly tripling of our monthly bill since we moved to the subdivision in 2001.

The good news is that, “The Commission shall from time to time as often as circumstances may require, change and revise or cause to be changed or revised any rates fixed by the Commission, or allowed to be charged by any public utility,” (NC General Statutes 62-130. Commission to make rates for public utilities). Considering Carolina Water Service, Inc. of North Carolina - Utilities, Inc. currently enjoys historic low corporate tax rates, we citizens would like the Commission to put an end to the rate hikes and insist that Carolina Water Service, Inc. of North Carolina - Utilities, Inc. look internally at their operational costs to help save money instead of continuously looking to pass their costs on to their customers.

Considering corporations recently have been recording record profits, the claim by Carolina Water Service, Inc. of North Carolina - Utilities, Inc. that they have struggled to reach their authorized “rate of return” rings hollow, and may reflect internal problems and inefficiencies of a poorly operated business. We Brandywine residents expected news that the Commission would instead be ordering a refund for over collection, considering most other corporations were reporting record profits, enjoying the new reduced corporate tax rate.

Please order Carolina Water Service, Inc. of North Carolina - Utilities, Inc. to conduct an internal audit and review of inefficiencies and other ways to save money in response to their rate increase request.