GOP lawmakers to overcharged NC utility customers: No refund | Opinion

Imagine walking to your mailbox after a long day at work. You see the familiar cluster of credit card ads, coupons, and of course the dreaded bills, especially the utility bill. For months, your power costs have been climbing, squeezing an already tight household budget.

This time, the envelope feels thicker.

You hold your breath, open it, and instead of another past-due notice, you find a check made payable to you: a refund for overcharges.

You exhale.

In reality, that’s the relief Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly kept from you. Not because you weren’t overcharged, but because Republican lawmakers stepped in to make sure you never see your money again.

Last week, a bipartisan three-judge panel of the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that the North Carolina Utilities Commission made a legal error when it allowed Duke Energy to raise rates in 2024 to recover millions in fuel costs.

The panel’s ruling was clear: customers were charged an “unlawfully high rate,” and when that occurs, “a refund to the customers is an appropriate remedy.” Under normal circumstances, that ruling would mean money back in ratepayers’ pockets.

But Republicans in the General Assembly had already moved to block that outcome. By overriding Governor Stein’s veto of Senate Bill 266, Republican leaders changed state law in the middle of this litigation that “nullified that remedy.” Millions of dollars could be coming back to the people of North Carolina if it weren’t for the actions of the North Carolina General Assembly overriding Governor Stein’s veto.

That is not an accident. It is a choice.

I’m not placing all the blame on Duke Energy. Throughout my career, I’ve both criticized and supported Duke Energy. As a Charlotte resident, I appreciate them as a valuable and meaningful corporate partner, donating to local organizations and employing over 10,000 residents with good, stable jobs.

But large utilities, like any large corporation, should be subject to strong, independent oversight. That oversight only works when lawmakers allow regulators to hold companies accountable and protect the public interest. Senate Bill 266 is the result you get when boundaries are not enforced. Instead of providing firm yet fair oversight, Republican leaders in Raleigh have allowed companies to take advantage of the people of this state.

All of this is happening while:

Grocery prices are up 2.4%; constituents in my district have reported utility bills increasing by over 200% compared to this time last year; and North Carolina remains the only state in the nation without a budget.

We’ve found ways to do so much for corporate interests; why can’t we do the same for families? It’s not an either-or proposition. I want North Carolina to have a thriving business environment while at the same time ensuring that our families are prospering as well.

At a time when an unexpected $300 expense — whether from an inflated utility bill, rising grocery costs, or replacing a tire on a pothole-riddled road — can send a North Carolina family into a debilitating financial spiral, we have to do more.

We can have a strong economy and strong consumer protections at the same time. We can support reliable energy and affordable energy at the same time. We can demand corporate success and corporate accountability at the same time.

We could all be getting reimbursed right now. But instead, Republican legislators chose corporations over constituents. Meanwhile, they’re sending the people of North Carolina nothing but an IOU.

You deserve better.

State Rep. Terry Brown is a Democrat representing District 92 in Mecklenburg County.

This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 11:17 AM with the headline "GOP lawmakers to overcharged NC utility customers: No refund | Opinion."