Public utilities provide electric, gas, water or telephone service to customers in a specified area. Utilities have a duty to provide safe and adequate service on reasonable terms to anyone who lives within the service area on without discriminating between customers. Because most utilities operate in near monopolistic conditions, they can be heavily regulated by local, state, and federal authorities. Generally, the local and state agencies are called Public Service Commissions (PSC) or Public Utility Commissions (PUC). Municipal Utilities and Rural Electric Cooperatives may be unregulated though.
Gerton is an unincorporated community in Henderson County, North Carolina, United States. It lies on U.S. Route 74 Alternate, at an elevation of 2,674 feet (815 m). The community is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. Gerton's ZIP code is 28735. Fire protection is provided by Gerton Fire and Rescue, which has a class 6 DOI rating.