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.
Shawboro is an unincorporated community located in Currituck County, North Carolina, United States. The post office is located close to the intersection of Shawboro Road and North Indian Town Road (SR 1147). The ZIP code is 27973. The Shawboro area is covered by three different telephone exchanges: Elizabeth City, Moyock, and Shiloh. Located in Shawboro is Station 4 fire and rescue service as well as Shawboro Elementary School, a K-5 school with approximately 500 students.