Hey everyone, Marcus W. here from Charlotte. I've got a client with a manufacturing facility that's been on Duke's Schedule SGS (Small General Service) for three years but their peak demand hit 22 kW last month. Duke's tariff shows LGS (Large General Service) kicks in at 20 kW but they haven't moved him automatically. Should I push for reclassification or let sleeping dogs lie? The LGS rate actually looks better for his usage pattern.
Duke Energy Schedule SGS vs LGS Threshold Confusion
Marcus, definitely push for it! Rosemary H. from Tallahassee here. Utilities rarely move customers to better rates automatically, even when they should. Duke is notorious for this. Calculate the savings over the past year and request retroactive billing adjustment. I've had success going back 12 months with proper documentation.
Good advice from Rosemary. Randy Dawson here. Duke Energy's tariff typically requires the move to LGS after two consecutive months above 20 kW, but enforcement is inconsistent. Document the demand readings, calculate the rate differential, and submit a formal reclassification request. Include load profiles showing the sustained higher demand. Duke has been more cooperative with retroactive adjustments lately, especially when customers provide clear documentation of the tariff violation. Also check if this qualifies for their Schedule LGS-TOU which might be even better depending on when they operate.
Phyllis G. from Macon checking in. Had similar issue with Georgia Power last year. Manufacturing client was stuck on Schedule GS-1 when they should have been on GS-2 for eight months. Got them $4,200 back in retroactive savings. The key is showing the utility they violated their own tariff rules. Don't let them claim it's discretionary - if the tariff says 20 kW triggers the move, that's binding.
Jorge M. in San Antonio. Quick question - what's the CT ratio on the account? Sometimes large service classifications require different metering infrastructure. If they're still on direct metering, Duke might drag their feet on the reclassification until they can schedule a meter upgrade. Just something to keep in mind for timing.
Good point Jorge. They're on 200:5 CTs already so metering shouldn't be an issue. Rosemary and Randy, thanks for the encouragement. I'll pull together the demand history and submit the request. Has anyone dealt with Duke's Charlotte office specifically? Wondering who the best contact is there.
Karen W. also in Charlotte. I work with Duke's commercial rates department regularly. Ask for Jennifer Martinez - she's been very helpful with rate class issues. Tell her you're with AAUBA and she usually expedites the review. Her direct line is 704-382-4156.
Perfect Karen, thanks for the contact info. Marcus, one more tip - when you submit the request, also ask them to review the account for Time-of-Use options. Manufacturing facilities often benefit from TOU rates if they can shift some load to off-peak hours.
Update: Called Jennifer Martinez today and she was fantastic! Account is being reviewed and she thinks we'll get approval within two weeks. She also confirmed they can do retroactive billing back to when the second month hit 20+ kW. Thanks everyone for the help - this community is invaluable.