When the heat turns on, bills shouldn’t break families

By: Claire Williamson

Outlets: North Carolina Newsline

Published: February 5, 2026

Words: 445

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 1 day ago

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As winter drags on, families across North Carolina are feeling the cold. For many of the low-income households the North Carolina Justice Center serves, this season doesn’t just mean turning up the heat — it means agonizing choices between paying the power bill or putting food on the table, filling prescriptions or covering rent.

Duke Energy’s latest proposal to raise rates by 15% over two years threatens to make those choices even harder. Fortunately for …

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