Has anyone else caught Duke Energy changing their small general service demand threshold from 20kW to 30kW in the Carolinas? We have a manufacturing client that's been on Schedule SGS for three years but should have moved to LGS last month. They're paying about $400 extra monthly because nobody caught the threshold crossing. David K. here - wondering if others have seen this issue with Duke.
Duke Energy Small General Service Threshold Changed - Missed It
David - yes we caught that change in July. Gail T. from Charlotte as well. Duke sent notification but it was buried in their quarterly newsletter. I've got four clients we're reviewing now for similar crossings. The new 30kW threshold affects quite a few smaller manufacturers.
This is exactly why we recommend quarterly rate audits for growing businesses. Randy D. here - Duke has been adjusting thresholds across their territory as they modernize rate structures. The key is watching those 12-month rolling peak demands closely. David, you should request retroactive billing adjustment - Duke typically allows up to 24 months back on classification errors if you can document the oversight.
Margaret P. in Charleston - we see this constantly with SCE&G now under Dominion too. Commercial clients hitting industrial thresholds and nobody notices until the annual review. Set up alerts in your monitoring systems at 85% of any threshold. Saved us thousands in corrections this year.
Randy - do you know the specific documentation Duke requires for retroactive adjustments? My client's demand has been consistently above 30kW for eight months now. We have the meter data but wasn't sure about their internal process. David K.
David - you'll need 12 months of interval demand data showing consistent threshold crossings, a formal rate classification review request on their business letterhead, and documentation showing the error wasn't customer-caused. Submit through their Key Accounts department, not customer service. Include your AAUBA credentials - Duke recognizes our certifications. Randy D.
Lee C. in Savannah - Georgia Power has similar threshold issues but they're better about proactive notifications. Just helped a client move from Schedule GS-2 to Schedule TOU-GSD-1 after hitting the 50kW mark. Got full retroactive adjustment back 18 months. Documentation was key like Randy mentioned.
Update on my four Duke clients - got three approved for retroactive adjustments totaling $12,400 in refunds. Fourth one was denied because they had previous classification discussions with Duke last year. Timing matters on these requests. Gail T.
Thanks everyone - submitted our request yesterday with all the documentation Randy suggested. Will update when we hear back. This forum saves me so much research time. David K.
Final update - Duke approved the retroactive adjustment! $3,200 credit applied to client's account plus ongoing savings of $385 monthly on the correct rate schedule. Thanks for all the guidance. David K.