Duke Energy customers set winter power record - Live5News.com | Charleston, SC | News, Weather, Sports

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - Duke Energy says its Carolina customers have set a record for winter power use and should expect to see higher electricity bills this month.

The Greenville News reports Thursday that Duke Energy customers in North and South Carolina set a winter record Dec. 15. The utility based in Charlotte, N.C., generated 17,570 megawatts of electricity between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. That's nearly 300 megawatts more than the previous winter peak, set on Jan. 11.

The National Weather Service says temperatures fell to 11 degrees on Dec. 14 in the Greenville-Spartanburg area. That tied the date's record low, set in 1917.

Utility spokesman Jason Walls says figures aren't yet available to compare energy use this month to a year ago.

Information from: The Greenville News, http://www.greenvillenews.com

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