Heads up for anyone with Duke Energy Carolinas clients. They just filed to change the demand ratchet on Schedule LGS from 70% to 80% of the highest demand in the previous 11 months. Effective April 2026 billing. This is going to hit seasonal businesses hard - restaurants with summer patios, school buildings, anything with a big summer peak.
Duke Energy demand ratchet changed to 80% - effective April 2026
Thanks for the heads up Warren. I have about a dozen Duke clients in the Charlotte area. Going to reach out to all of them this week to explain the impact and see if there are any load management strategies we can implement before April.
For newer members - a demand ratchet means your minimum billed demand is a percentage of your highest peak from the past year. Going from 70% to 80% means higher minimum demand charges even in your low-usage months. It's one of the most expensive line items most businesses don't understand.