Did you lose power in Durham last week? How to file complaints with state & Duke Energy
If you lost power in last week’s blackout in Durham, you can take your complaints to the state’s Utilities Commission.
Nearly 12,000 customers were affected at the peak of the Duke Energy power outage. Many in the city’s poorest neighborhoods in East and Southeast Durham were without electricity during the winter’s coldest temperatures
Workers doing maintenance work on a substation damaged equipment and caused the outage.
It lasted 35 hours and disproportionately affected the city’s poorest neighborhoods, where many Black and Latino residents and businesses are located.
Customers can file complaints with the Public Staff of the state Utilities Commission and seek mediation from the state as part of their options.
The Utilities Commission is authorized to financially penalize Duke Energy, but cannot award money in damages to residents or business owners who were affected.
Customer complaint could serve as a start of an investigation
Commission would have to weight whether there were any violations
Here’s how to file a complaint
- Customers can provide the docket number E-7 for Duke Energy in their complaints.
Duke Energy customers can file formal complaints with the Utilities Commission at www.ncuc.gov/Consumer/complaint.html.
- Customers can also fill out an informal complaint form with the Public Staff of the Utilities Commission online at publicstaff.nc.gov/ncuc-public-staff-complaint-form.
- You can contact the Consumer Services section of the Public Staff at consumer.services@psncuc.nc.gov.
The Public Staff is an independent agency that represents consumers and the public in matters before the Utilities Commission, according to its website.
Filing a claim with Duke Energy
Customers can also file complaints with Duke Energy directly online at www.duke-energy.com/customer-service/report-claim to be compensated for loss of food, property damage or other issues caused by a power outage unrelated to weather.
“We understand the frustration and inconvenience customers felt being without power as a result of the substation outage in Durham,” said Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks. “We have identified customers served by power lines directly affected by the outage. If any of those customers believe that Duke Energy caused a loss for which they should be compensated, they can submit a claim using our online form.”
Customers are asked to provide certain information and documentation to file their claim, such as any evidence of losses sustained.
If Duke Energy is proven to be responsible for all or a portion of a loss, customers will receive a “reasonable amount of that loss and resolve the claim,” Brooks said.
This story was originally published January 22, 2024 at 3:41 PM with the headline "Did you lose power in Durham last week? How to file complaints with state & Duke Energy."
