Costner: Additional fees swell utility bills

By: Bobby G. Costner Sr. | Morganton News Herald
Published: March 12, 2010

Morganton, NC --

Have you noticed the charges added to your utility bills?
Some propane suppliers put on an additional charge called R.C.C. I was told that this was a regulatory compliance charge. What are they complying with? A transportation fuel charge is added to your bill also.
Natural gas companies have an excise tax (in North Carolina only). Based on the volume of gas used, this tax is in lieu of any sales tax or franchise gross receipts tax. A new law that phases out the excise tax on piped natural gas for selected farmers and many manufacturers went into effect Oct. 1, 2007, according to the N.C. Department of Revenue. The amount of the tax is to be decreased each year until it is phased out completely this year. This is all well and good, but what about everybody else? Why a selected group?
Your water bill has an additional charge called "WADRC," which means water debt recovery charge and sewer debt recovery charge — non-regulatory charges.
Your satellite dish bill has an additional charge called receiver access fee.
Your telephone bill is a real barn-burner. Usage charges, surcharges, other fees, government fees and taxes. About 22 percent of your phone bill goes to pay these charges. No wonder the phone companies have money to burn.
The above are just a few; I am sure there are more.
The N.C. Utilities Commission's Consumer Service Division told me they have no control over some of these non-regulated charges. This means whatever charges are added to your utility bills you are required to pay, regardless of the amount. Is this fair to the consumer? No, but the N.C. Utilities Commission, our politicians and the lawmakers don't care or they would control this big blunder.
Imagine how much additional money that this loophole can create and at the consumer's expense.

Costner: Additional fees swell utility bills

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