Why would anyone have a problem with management of duke power? They do not handle turning on or off your power. They would never be on the phone and I doubt you would find them to talk to them in person.
The only way to handle duke is through the utilities commission and then hope the legislature hasn't passed some law duke wanted passed to protect them. They already have it where they can do mostly as they please.
I agree completely with this comment of yours "instead of hiring LOCAL techs who speak English and aren't on some work Visa to make a solid webpage... is the core problem with corporate."
This is a common problem, the root cause is not only because of the corporations profit motives, but also due to a shortage of qualified staff to do systems development. There are multiple systems managers jobs open for every qualified systems manager, and a large shortage of systems developers at all levels. The U. S. is simply not training enough people in the Sciences and for Information Technology. But too many in the Arts and Social areas where there is a glut and low salaries to boot.
I once had a Systems Director from India as a boss, and he was a difficult person biased and acted without weighing all the issues. Communication was difficult due to linguistics and lack of a common background.
If you have a problem with Duke's management at any level, the best way to address the issue is in person face to face and not over the phone or internet. It is amazing the difference in the results obtained by a face to face meeting.
Advocate: "As far as missed payments, Put your utility bills on a bank draft, no mail problems, no late payments, no reconnect fees." Let's try one more time to register the meaning of words already posted. OOgie: " "No payment was ever missed nor late." The account WAS being drafted. Duke never failed to do the draft and no draft was ever declined by the bank. Duke had already done the draft for that account and the next meter reading date was in the future. No warning nor notice of the cutoff was given . No explanation was ever given. The account had enough money to buy any American-made new car. My previous post covered all the meaning that the longer post conveys. Can you grasp the meaning?
AdvocateforTruth should be renamed for "Advocate-for-his-own-version-of-the-truth" which is fine.
Some have understood the gist of my original complaint, which had the theme of corporate greed and profiteering, and a general desire by those in power to maintain their power and increase their wealth on the backs of the masses. Feudalism never died - it was renamed to "democracy" and "capitalism".
That being said, the fact that they would rather put the money in their personal pockets and appease shareholders (so they will be able to continue to pad their personal pockets), instead of hiring LOCAL techs who speak English and aren't on some work Visa to make a solid webpage... is the core problem with corporate.
I never said anything about the underpaid labor who actually maintains the lines or installs new service. Leave the common working men out of this. They are not to blame for any of Duke's leaders, where the art of Kanly is still alive.
As Constitutional said... I agree: " I'm about as grateful for that as I am about the state and federal governments extorting money from me for their wonderful services"
And "Advocate" (who is not an advocate of any relevant facts, just his own)... what does the price of tea in China, or the cost of power in Hawaii... have to do with ANYTHING here? Just keep singing your song... Everything is awesome! Everything is cool when you're part of a team! Everything is awesome when we're living our dream!Everything is better when we stick together! Side by side, you and I gonna win forever, let's party forever! We're the same, I'm like you, you're like me, we're all working in harmony!
Yes, I feel very lucky to be robbed each month by Duke Energy. I'm about as grateful for that as I am about the state and federal governments extorting money from me for their wonderful services, Comparing the rates from the southeastern US to an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is completely unfair. Population, environmental factors, accessibility. types of and number of power plants, and a host of other things must be weighed.
First of all I could care less about Hawaiian rates. Rates for Nc are set in NC not washington dc. The link is the highest residential rates for duke. Like all companies there are different tiers. http://www.duke-energy.com/...duleRS.pdf
Were you to research Bremco, energy united, and surry yakdin they buy power from duke. Most with 20 year contracts. Recon why the co-ops are so much higher? This is pure profit for duke as they dont have to maintain the first line.
As far as missed payments, Put your utility bills on a bank draft, no mail problems, no late payments, no reconnect fees.
One thing you cannot do without is electricity in this modern day world. Like Duke or other electrical utility or not you are trapped, us less you spend megabucks to get off of the grid.
Yes, I have had trouble with Duke over a inoperative meter at a church, and they were butt holes about it, it was their responsibility to repair and replace the meter and their meter reader did not report the broken meter.
Working with high voltage lines is more dangerous than just about any job, equal to law enforcement.
There is no doubt that some good folks must work for the corrupt, greedy company known as Duke Energy. It doesn't change the fact that the company is run by liars and thieves(beholden only to their shareholders and not the people that pay their high rates) and will screw you over if given half the chance. I remember those TV ads around election time with the highly paid liar trying to make out as though he and his company were nothing less than saintly. Made me want to vomit. . Oh what would we do without the power company??? We'd crank up the generators, solar backups, and wood stoves. Life would still go on.
Oogie, I have heard of not only a residence being cut off but businesses being cut off by duke and they had to pay a 75 buck reconnect fee even though it was dukes fault for having them cut off. Neither would take the time to file a complaint with the commission and duke knows this. Duke has grown too big for its britches just like the NCDOT. Both need to be brought back down several notches.
Now as for the putting these linemen employees on a pedestal because they work in the elements is just horse manure. Police, fire, and ems work in the elements also. You people just dont notice because its not you but if its your power you think these linemen are jesus christ but in reality its their job. Heck even the garbage man works in the elements and has a more dangerous job.
Bremco like other co-ops has a board that sits for life with insurance for the family. They do exactly as they are told. Bremco has the second highest paid ceo in the nation at 800 K. They were caught owning a suite at ASU, basket ball tickets at NCSU and front row hockey tickets.
Agreed about the efforts and effectiveness of the people on the front lines doing the grunt work. Duke management is incompetent and dishonest. The problems I have had with Duke these last 3 years are just unbelievable. No payment was ever missed nor late. But they shut off the power and closed the account because their representative did not like what I said on the phone. There was no cursing and no insults. Big problems with their business department for 3 years and all I ever did was pay the bills promptly-- never late.
Folks you should know that Advocate often eats breakfast with the local linemen from Duke Power and Surry-Yadkin EMC.
No one works harder in more challenging situations than those who assure us of electricity 24/7 with little to no interruption.
Viewpoints are debateable this is why we have forums to air our differences..
I had rather have Electricity than Phones or Internet given that I had to give one or more up. Also having spent 38 years working in the corporate world, I expect that corporations should make a profit in order to continue to operate, offer jobs and income to those of us who want to work for a living. Profits pay for new plants and services for the empolyee and end consumer. Profits will pay for the coal ash clean up and coal free replacement electricity generation facilities.
Here is another excellent article from Carolina Country Magazine:
In summary only 30 percent of REA's Electricity is coal based, the rest is Nuclear, Natural Gas and Renewable based. And also Duke the supplier of coal based electricity is moving quickly away from Coal. And currently coal is on 15 percent of the mix.
(coal comprises less than 15 percent, on average, of your co-op's power supply) quote:
So for the alarmist, the sky is not falling at all. NC is in much better shape than most states.
Striking a balance
by Michael E.C. Gery
Articles and editorials in Carolina Country concerning energy and environmental issues recently have prompted some cooperative members to send us their own comments on these issues.
This came from Laura Cotterman of Hillsborough, a member of Piedmont EMC.
I favor the EPA's proposed greenhouse gas regulations for existing power plants and, in fact, would like us to aim for even greater emissions reductions. The expense will be significantly smaller than the costs of dealing with sea level rise, food insecurity due to drought and temperature extremes, and loss of life and property due to more frequent violent storms and fire.
This came from Ken Jobe of Beaufort, a member of Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative.
Broadly speaking it seems the desire to keep energy costs low, which I understand is a key co-op objective, dilutes energetic support to transition away from carbon fuels ... The climate cost, which citizens are paying, is not expressed in the cost of carbon fuels. I have recently joined Citizens Climate Lobby to address climate change in a manner which I believe is pro-business for the economy as well as for North Carolina electric cooperatives.
This came from Dennis Humenik of Arapahoe, a member of Tideland EMC.
Lacking the possibility of buying coal-burning electricity from cleaner sources than Duke, co-ops should impress on Duke to run the best environmentally sound coal plant that is clean from the time coal is delivered, to the time ash is carried away ... Electric co-op members in our state will not mind adding a few dollars to their electric bill knowing that will give them cleaner air to breathe, cleaner water to drink and less toxic food to eat.
The state's electric cooperatives have long encouraged an open dialogue among members on issues affecting their cooperatives and communities. Discussion on all generation resources and the environment has taken place and will continue in Carolina Country, co-op newsletters, community meetings, annual business meetings and elsewhere.
Members who follow the discussion know that North Carolina's cooperatives have a remarkably clean and diverse power supply portfolio. More than 70 percent of your co-op's power is generated by emissions-free nuclear, less carbon intensive natural gas and renewable energy facilities. Renewable energy sources are increasingly part of the mix. Electric cooperatives will continue to pursue next generation technology to improve the efficient use of electricity, provide for better and cleaner generation and upgrade the grid to deliver power without interruption to your homes and businesses. Electric cooperatives work hard to be your trusted energy advisor, to support your efforts to be energy-efficient and to conserve energy to lower your power bill.
While the cooperatives do not own coal-fueled power plants, coal is part of their fuel mix by way of purchased-power agreements with Duke Energy and other generators. Even so, coal comprises less than 15 percent, on average, of your co-op's power supply. Because of that, co-ops will be affected by the rising costs associated with coal-fired generation, and they are at the table where discussion takes place. To address all these needs, it is certain that we all will pay more for electricity.
Cooperatives are made up of many different kinds of people, and the job of a co-op's board and staff is to serve all of them equally. It's just a fact that many co-op members struggle to meet their expenses on a regular basis. A co-op's purpose is to balance all of these interests to help all members, regardless of their economic circumstances.
Overall, your cooperative strives to control costs for members while supporting communities and protecting the natural environment. Achieving this balance has long been part of your cooperative's mission.
This Article from Carolina Country Magazine put things in the perspective of those of us who did without electricity.
Mr. Wagner
My brother and me on the farm.
Growing up on a Granville County farm with my mom, dad and brother, we raised most of our food with a big garden, one cow, two hogs and 50 chickens. On Saturdays my mom would make hot rolls and "pick" a chicken and soak it in salty water. Early Sunday morning, before we attended church, Mom fried the chicken and cooked vegetables for our lunch.
We enjoyed seeing our neighbors at Amis Chapel Baptist Church. Revival time was special. Dad would travel to Oxford to get the block of ice in a wooden bucket with a spigot. I can still taste the refreshing cup of ice water between services.
Real excitement occurred when REA (Piedmont Electric) put up poles and electric wires. Mr. Wagner, the man who wired our houses, boarded with us. He enjoyed our home-grown food, especially Mom's mashed potatoes and biscuits. When my four girlfriends spent the night, our bedroom was upstairs over Mr. Wagner's room. You can imagine how we laughed, giggled and talked. The next morning Mr. Wagner said, "By golly, I thought the ceiling was coming down on me!"
Mr. Wagner stayed with us long enough for Mom to save money for a GE refrigerator. No longer did we cool our milk in the spring. We had ice anytime. Thank you for our electricity!
Well it seems that edge makes points just as valid as advocate.
The Lego movie is a perfect mirror. Advocate is one of the background characters, singing the "Everything is Awesome!" song like in the movie, blinding following President Business' plans for him. Edge is either Emmet or Vitruvius depending if you think he has a clue or not.
One "fits in" and has his destiny created for him by another, and the other does not fit in, and creates his own destiny. The world needs both kinds of people.
In the movie, President Business is defeated. But in real life, he always wins. Because most are singing the Awesome song like advocate and fiesta do.
So sing along with Advocate's song!!!: Everything is awesome! Everything is cool when you're part of a team! Everything is awesome when we're living our dream!
Everything is better when we stick together! Side by side, you and I gonna win forever, let's party forever! We're the same, I'm like you, you're like me, we're all working in harmony!
(Chorus) Everything is awesome! Everything is cool when you're part of a team! Everything is awesome when we're living our dream!
(Wooo) 3, 2, 1. Go
Have you heard the news, everyone's talking. Life is good 'cause everything's awesome. Lost my job, it's a new opportunity. More free time for my awesome community
I feel more awesome than an awesome possum. Dip my body in chocolate frostin'. Three years later, wash off the frostin'. Smellin' like a blossom, everything is awesome. Stepped in mud, got new brown shoes. It's awesome to win, and it's awesome to lose (it's awesome to lose).
(chorus)
Blue skies, bouncy springs. We just named two awesome things. A Nobel prize, a piece of string. You know what's awesome? EVERYTHING!
Dogs with fleas, allergies, A book of Greek antiquities. Brand new pants, a very old vest. Awesome items are the best
Trees, frogs, clogs. They're awesome. Rocks, clocks, and socks. They're awesome Figs, and jigs, and twigs. That's awesome. Everything you see, or think, or say... Is awesome
Everything is awesome Everything is cool when you're part of a team Everything is awesome when we're living our dream
The Democratic National Committee will not have to repay the full $10 million line of credit from Duke Energy -- the country's largest electric power company -- used to fund the 2012 Democratic National Convention, contradicting the committee's self-imposed prohibition on corporate funding for the Charlotte-based event.
Duke Energy, which is headquartered in Charlotte, announced Thursday that it would forgive the Democratic Party of its unpaid loans, instead leaving shareholders to cover $6 million, according to the Charlotte Observer.
fiesta, if companies really cared about their employees then they would funnel more of the CEO pay into pensions to keep them funded.
sad that people have been duped and sold on the propaganda for 401k's.
fact is that if you have a pension, you will be getting more than you would get for any 401k. but it's all about maximizing profit to the point of excess. so pensions went away.
Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good's 2013 compensation totaled almost $6.5 million. MILLION. In one year. For her "services", Good will "earn" $1.2 million a year in salary, or about 380 times more than you.
You morons obviously fail to understand that in one year alone, those funds for just ONE top executive of Duke could fund lifetime pensions for what, a thousand of their employees????
Pensions went away not because they were inferior, they went away so the money could go to the stupid salaries, wasteful spending, and maximizing profits.
They spent millions more on marketing and propaganda to make the common fools like you think that 401k's are the best option a sheep has of getting a golden parachute.
whatever. with attitudes like these i can see why the country has fallen to crap. you have bought all their bs.
Wow! Cant believe a regulated business brought all this to the table. Heck lets jack our power bill up and fix all the coal fired plants. But wait no one likes nuclear, so lets go with gas to generate, but wait that is a lot of cost. Maybe just go back to the dark age???? We would probably all gain from that. Does anyone posting realize what it takes to make your light come on? If you think you do, you can add 50% on to that and you may be close.
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