Hey everyone, Dale O. here from Columbus. I've got a client with a manufacturing facility pulling 485 kW demand that Duke Energy has been billing on Schedule GSP (General Service Primary) for three years. Just discovered they qualify for Schedule SGS (Small General Service) which caps at 500 kW. The rate difference is significant - about $1,800/month. Anyone dealt with Duke on retroactive reclassification requests? What documentation did they require?
Duke Energy Schedule GSP vs SGS Classification Issues
Angela F. here, also Columbus! Duke can be tough on retros but I've had success going back 12 months with proper justification. You'll need load profile data showing consistent demand under the threshold, plus a formal letter explaining the misclassification. Did the customer's usage pattern change or were they wrong from day one?
Thanks Angela! This was wrong from installation. New construction in 2021, contractor apparently requested GSP without understanding the thresholds. Customer has never exceeded 490 kW in three years of billing. Should be a slam dunk but Duke is dragging their feet.
Randy Dawson weighing in from Memphis. New construction misclassifications are unfortunately common, especially when contractors handle utility applications without rate expertise. Duke Energy typically allows retroactive corrections for clear misclassifications, but they'll want to see: 1) Original application documents, 2) 24 months of interval demand data proving qualification, 3) Written request citing specific tariff language, and 4) Explanation of how the error occurred. The key is demonstrating this wasn't a usage pattern change but an initial classification error. I'd recommend escalating to their Commercial Rate Review team if the local office isn't responsive. Document everything in writing.
Roy H. from Birmingham. Had similar issue with Alabama Power last year. New construction manufacturing plant, contractor requested Rate LPL (Large Power Low) instead of Rate SGS. Took four months to resolve but got 18 months retroactive credit totaling $34,000. Key was proving contractor error versus customer usage change.
Randy, that's exactly the roadmap I needed. Already have the interval data and original application. The contractor clearly didn't understand Duke's threshold structure. Will draft the formal request this week and escalate to Commercial Rate Review if needed. Roy, $34K recovery - nice work! Gives me hope this is worth pursuing.
Dale, one more tip - Duke's Commercial Rate Review team is much more knowledgeable than regular customer service. Ask specifically for supervisor review and mention this involves tariff interpretation. I've found they're more receptive when you speak their language with specific schedule references.
Update: Submitted formal request to Duke's Commercial Rate Review team with all documentation Randy suggested. They acknowledged receipt and assigned case number. Fingers crossed for good news in 30-60 days. Will report back with results for the group.