Did Duke Energy overcharge NC customers and raise rates? Here’s what to know
With higher utility bills due to extra cold weather and a recent court ruling that prevents customers from getting refunds, Duke Energy has been the subject of a lot of online chatter lately.
Many customers are wondering: Did the company recently raise rates or overcharge customers? Did issues with AutoPay result in much higher utility bills in February? Will customers on payment plans be affected by bill spikes?
Here’s what you need to know.
Did Duke Energy bills increase recently?
It’s complicated. Many Duke Energy customers saw higher bills this month after winter storms in January led to increased energy use, the Observer reported.
“Has anyone paid their Duke Energy bills lately?” a Reddit user recently asked in the North Carolina subreddit. “Holy cow! $100 more than last year on each of two different properties.”
“I had a new high efficiency HVAC system with inverter heat pump installed in July 2025. I just got an electric bill for $290. This time last year with an 18-year-old HVAC system my bill was $190. Ridiculous,” another user commented.
However, the company did not officially raise its rates within the last few months.
Online chatter about rate increases likely stems from the company’s request to raise rates filed near the end of last year. Estimates show the rate hikes, if approved (and they would take effect in 2027), could result in customers paying nearly $200 more for utilities annually, the Energy Policy Institute reported. .
Did Duke Energy overcharge customers in NC?
Yes, but not recently.
A North Carolina Court of Appeals ruling last week found that regulators improperly approved a 2024 rate increase tied to Duke Energy Carolinas’ annual fuel rider (an adjustment on your electric bill that lets a utility company raise or lower rates to make up for changes in what it spent on fuel to generate power), but a recently passed law prevents customers from recouping the added costs, The Charlotte Observer’s newsgathering partner WSOC reported. That means customers will not receive refunds for the bills they were incorrectly charged for.
Though recent claims of overcharges have circulated on social media, the higher bills are due to colder temperatures and recent winter weather, Duke Energy told the Observer.
“We want customers to be aware that seasonal weather plays a significant role in energy use,” Duke Energy spokesperson Logan Stewart told the Observer. “Higher energy consumption tied to colder temperatures is the largest driver of increased home-heating costs during the winter months.”
Did AutoPay malfunction for Duke Energy customers?
No. Some on Facebook claimed their February bills included two months of charges, while others said a system malfunction led to missed payments.
However, though reports of AutoPay malfunctioning leading to higher bills this month have circulated on social media, the company has not had any recent issues with the system, Stewart said.
Will Duke Energy customers on payment plans be affected by bill spikes?
They could be. Duke Energy offers customers two Budget Billing options designed to provide more predictable monthly bills, Stewart told the Observer.
The Annual Plan requires 12 months of billing history and sets a fixed monthly payment for at least six months. The company reviews the plan halfway through the year and may adjust the payment if actual energy use is higher or lower than expected. At the end of the year, customers either pay the difference or receive a credit.
The Quarterly Plan does not require billing history. If none is available, the initial payment is based on the home’s size. Customers pay the same amount for three months at a time, and the bill is adjusted every quarter based on actual usage. Any differences at the end of the year are rolled into the next year’s plan.
“The purpose of Budget Billing is to avoid the extreme highs and lows of bills but if a customer’s actual usage is higher than the estimated usage of their Budget Billing plan, the plan amount may increase (and likewise it may decrease if actual usage is lower than estimated usage),” Stewart said.
This story was originally published February 27, 2026 at 10:56 AM with the headline "Did Duke Energy overcharge NC customers and raise rates? Here’s what to know."
