Duke Energy Reviews

Unusually high bill even when I cut power and use a generator. I was told it was my ac. We are retired and only cook occasionally. We have no washer or dryer and don't shower everyday. Our home is very well insulated and can be cooled or heated very easily. Any complaints to customer service is useless. Try it and see how you do. They charge what they want cause they can get away with it. That is my opinion.

August statement arrived with a surprising balance of $524. Immediately contacted Duke Energy to ask about the unidentified balance and they claim that belong to a South Carolina I was living in 2011... The account was opened under my name with the same birth date, but different social security. I told them that was a fraud and an investigation started. I've called the company 4 times now and no progress in the investigation. They keep telling me, call in a week or so. I told them them that they are just trying to recoup their money by cross referencing names with no further evidence. My credit report shows all the places I've lived in the past here in North Carolina, still they are not issuing a credit for the new "adjustment"... will see how things transpire.

In June 2014 my bill came in $535, July 2014 $492 and in 8/2014 $990. I called Duke and they blamed the Air Conditioning. I called an electrician to audit the whole house and I spent $250 because Duke energy recommended and the master electrician said that everything was working efficient. I also called two Air Conditioning companies to make sure that AC was working efficient and they checked the unit and said was working 100% efficient. I am only one person in this house, I keep my air condition at 80 degree and do not cook everyday.

I printed out the charges and payments beginning in 2012 through 8/2014. I entered this info into an Excel spreadsheet and it shows that I owe them about 356.00. Duke Energy is showing that I owe over 800.00. I think they are trying to overcharge people and for that stupid coal ash that is their responsibility now ours.

Nothing has changed from my end, I keep my central air at 83-84 degrees. My bills have gone up by close to $100.00. I am retired so that's a whole lot of money for me. Duke just put new electric poles up so I was concerned that would of course come out of my pocket but not by the amount I've been charged for the last three months. I read in the newspaper consumers may get approx. $6 back. They can keep their $6 {where did they come up with this figure}!!! I don't know who to turn to for help but I hope someone is looking out for Duke customers because we are getting RIPPED OFF. Class action suit sounds good to me!!!

Ever since Progress Energy switched to Duke Energy I can't seem to get a handle on my electric bill; my bill was never more than $200 and now it's never less $300. I always thought monopolies were illegal but we as customers don't have the option to choose a different electric company... Duke Energy is taking advantage of their customers and I will make sure the next time I move I check to make sure they aren't the company providing electric. Will we ever have any say...? It's so sad that at the moment I never have extra money to buy my 10 month old toys or clothes because I'm in fear of my electric getting shut off....

We have had electric service with Duke Energy for 10.5 years. We signed onto their website to pay our bill and see they have added a $386.00 deposit bringing our bill up to $728.87. I called today to see why they added this and I'm told that if your bill is ever late they can do this. I then ask why my bill has jumped so high. Maybe it's my water heater. OK. Good answer except the water heater is fairly new as are all of my appliances. I explain that my husband & I are the only people that live here. My husband works 12 to 16 hour days so I'm not cooking, I use paper plates so I'm not doing dishes. My husband has company uniforms so I'm not doing tons of laundry. No way can this be right.

I live in a one bedroom mobile home. My electric went from $140.00 to 348, and now my meter is not being read for 6 weeks. I am disabled and live on a very limited income. It has actually come down to my rent or electric. We need a class action suit. I would be willing to help anybody that knows how to start this. Why do they have to be so greedy now??? IT'S A DAMN SHAME!!! I wish I knew what an order # was.

So I just moved to my new location 08/15/2014 and I also had Duke Energy in my previous location. So I called to find out what the deposit was for the new location and if the current deposit would be transferred to the new location. The rep told me that the deposit for the new place was waived and the current deposit (80.00) would be applied towards my final bill with my old place. I was a little surprised but I accepted it but I knew something just didn't sound right. So the next day or two I called back just to confirm my light will be turned on at the new location and to check if any deposit magically showed up. Again I was told I was good to go and that the deposit was waived for the new place.

I called Duke energy to see why my bill had gone from 186.59 on July 2014 bill up to 321.00 for August bill 2014. The customer service rep told me that 9 days had been added to my bill because they were changing meter reading dates. I have never had a electric company do this to me before so I asked if I could make payments on the extra amount and was told no but I could get a payment arrangement but had to wait till the day the bill was due. So I did this and the automated system told me I was not eligible for a payment arrangement. When I called to see why I was told that my bill was higher than my deposit so they could not grant me a payment arrangement. I have always payed my bill on time even when I have had to get a payment arrangement. This company has come in and taken over and now my bill has been getting higher and higher. I have not done anything different and there is no reason for my bill to have gone up so much.

Like everyone has mentioned, ever since Duke Energy took over, our bill has skyrocketed. When we began noticing our bill rising we immediately took action on lowering it thinking it was our fault. However despite our efforts, nothing seems to be working. With all of the changes we've made, each and everyone of them to the exact level that is recommended on Duke Energy's website, our bill should have began to drop not continue to rise. Heat factor remains the same as when the problem began.

I have been living at the same place for more than 5 yrs and my light bill never been so high. Since Duke's took over, my bill has not been under $180. My bill was for the past 5 yrs under $120.... This is unbelievable, something needs to be done with Duke Energy.

I live in Kentucky and my bill was estimated because of the weather. I paid the estimated bill but when they were able to read my meter, they rebilled me for the estimated bills I had already paid, forwarding 1090 dollars to my bill. Now the back of my bill, it clearly stated that an estimated bill is considered a regular bill so why did they make me pay again?

On 6/1/2014 I moved to Pasco County in Florida. My security deposit was over 240.00 and when I ask why so high, I was told by Duke Energy they are doubling the average monthly bill of the "previous" tenants as my security deposit and will hold onto it for at least 2 years. How can they get away with this?

I am a new customer with Duke Energy. I just moved to their service area. I just received my first bill on 8/25 and the bill was a 2nd bill telling me that I owed first payment! I never received the first bill!! I called and explained this and they would not work with me on giving me extension. I don't understand that they can't give you an exception (one time) to help you when you just received the bill! I'm highly upset and I'm not having a good experience with them so far. I hope they can process my payment without interruption. I don't trust them and so I'm not a happy customer with them.

I have been living in my home for the past 6 years in Salem Indiana. We have a meter reader that has to come into our back fence and read the meter attached to the back of our house. For the past year I have had a meter reader that apparently hates my dogs always kicking at them and stomping his feet telling them to get! My husband works 3rd so is always in bed when they come and he couldn't believe it when I told him about this dude so today I video taped this guy and I couldn't believe what he done! 1st of all I have 2 outside dogs 1 Siberia husky who is almost 2 and a Australian Shepherd who is almost 12 years old! This is their home, of course they will bark at an unfamiliar man coming into their yard. Well this guy takes out a can of mace and sprays my 11 year old...she takes of running to porch, he gets on porch and sprays her again. She barks and cries due to this being in her eyes and this dude sprays her again!!! This guy does not deserve his job. This was totally uncalled for! It's animal cruelty!!!

I called a few weeks ago to check my meter. Something was wrong with my power, took two times for them to figure it out and my land lord electrician had to be there with them as well. After all that, I have a letter on the mail saying that I owe 568 dollar of power bill from the time I move in the apartment to date, now it went up to 699 dollars and some change. I called to the customer service 4 times with the one I made today. Nobody have the answers for my questions and they not very friendly.

I have one word that I can say about this company is that I hate it. I wish I lived in a different area so that I won't have to deal with this company. Half of my area is one company or this company and I just happen to rent on the side of the street that's powered by this company. They are fast to disconnect but take their time to turn power back on. My bill will range from 187 every month but July my bill was 348. How, I don't know. If this company kept an eye on the use of energy this should have came up in the system. But nope they just charged me. Now I have to get my landlord to check out everything to make sure some thing in my house is causing my bill to be so high. I just can't wait to move from this area and pray that I won't have to deal with this company ever again.

In 2011 with the landlord's permission I moved into a rental property that my mom had previously rented and all utilities were on. After only a month of being there I received a notice from Duke Energy saying that my services would be disconnected. When I called Duke Energy to see what had happened they informed me that it had been fraudulent activity at that address for the last past few years and that I would need $3,000 or my services would be disconnected. After 3 months of being on the property I moved.

I GOT SICK AND WAS OUT OF WORK FOR 4 months so my bill with Duke Energy got behind. I was paying my bill but paying late. My bill had gone up to $800 unpaid. Well paid that bill. Second bill was around $700 that was paid. Finally got back to work, thank God. Now it's time to get caught up with all of my other bills too. I'm not going to lie, supporting a family of 4 is no easy task on one income. My electric did get shut off for about 4 days. There was nothing I could do. So finally did get some money together, called Duke Energy to see how much I needed to put electric back on. The representative said it would be 300 and change to put electric back on. Paid it, called to turn on service then they told me it would need to pay another $389. Oh my god...

Never had a late payment in over two years and still can't get my deposit back.

I have been a customer of Progress Energy/Duke Energy for over 15 years. Recently, my future son-in-law paid our bill online using Duke's "Ezy Pay" option. Unfortunately, the payment was rejected by his financial institution due to complications with his direct deposit from his employer. After learning about this bank error, we called Duke Energy to resolve the issue. We were told that we would not be able to make another check by phone payment, and that we would need to go to a local pay station with an additional $30.00 NSF fee or our service would be interrupted. At no time, whatsoever, did the customer service representative indicate that we would also be receiving a separate bill requesting an additional security deposit in the amount of $217.00 because of this single isolated incident pertaining to the recent bank institution error.

I live in N.C. where we had a terrible coal spill and Duke Energy is using consumers to foot the billion dollar bill. It should not be ok for the corporate use us continuously. My electric bill has been the same for the last two months. The difference is one month, it was extremely hot and I had to run my air continuously, but the month after we had an unusual cold front and only had to use air for two weeks. This is not ok. Who can I call?

Duke Energy is a poorly run organization that doesn't seem to be able to communicate within its walls and treats its customers with thorough disregard. I have spent over 3 hours (and still racking up the time) on the phone, trying to get an erroneous account set up by an inattentive employee straight, as well as credits on the correct account straight. The people in "Customer Service" (what a joke) continue to apply credits to the erroneous account and then can't understand why they see the credits already in place and just drop the issue. As such, bills continue to come in on the correct account that are incorrect.

I have a small mobile home in Kissimmee, FL that is visited by myself and family a couple times a year. It's average electric usage when vacant is around 145 KWH per month. Last time we were there was in April 2014. Electric usage for the month of April was 282 KWH. That was with 6 people being there for 7 days. I just received my electric bill for 7/01/14-7/31/14 and usage was 1063 KWH. Rates had not changed only usage. Only thing plugged in is a refrigerator on an energy saver setting.

I have been a Duke Energy customer for 14 years. Due to unexpected circumstances my credit score suffered and I have to pay these greedy corporate blood suckers a new $323 security deposit. I have paid my bill late but it has been paid. Now I have to pay $545 before August 25th or be disconnected. Do I go without power or do I buy gas for my car to work so I can make my car payment, so I can go to work to pay my utility bills, so I can be able to work to buy groceries, so I have necessary fuel for my body, so I can work to pay Duke power???? The vicious cycle continues on the working poor!!!! I am sure I am not alone.

I have had the same electric service since 2007. I admit to being late a few times. I recently had multiple money issues due to two car accidents my family was involved in. A bill I received said I had till Friday the 29th of August to pay my bill. My daughter calls me and says the power was shutoff, it was the 27th. I scrounged the money together with help from a family member and paid the bill. I just received a notice saying that because it was shutoff, they are charging me a DEPOSIT of $330.00 on top of my next bill. Talk about being kicked when down. I was short on this bill, now this FEE! If any other energy companies are listening, I WILL BE HAPPY TO SIGN WITH YOU. Please come to Florida so we have a choice.

I had over 500.00 bill. It went from daily usage 4.00 to almost 11.00 just in one month. No changes in my house. Better yet when I complained and ask them to replace meter because couldn't be right they refused saying everyone's went up because of cold temps and my furnace. Well little did they know I was using a wood heater. It made it rare for furnace to ever kick on. See the heater is really too big for my space so it would go slight. Well when I told the lady that she said "That's not on your records." I said, "I didn't figure you were going to be cutting my wood so why would it be of importance?" Well then she started saying I had power problems somewhere in my house.

I notice that Duke Energy (and other providers) read meters between 28 and 32 days. Most reading periods are 31 or 32 days. Why? Because the longer the reading period the more energy the customer has to pay for at the higher rate! This is a scam used by all Energy and Water providers. We have no choice of supplier and they have a cartel. They can do exactly what they want. Of course they claim that prices etc are controlled by the State but in reality they have the ability to charge what they can get away with. My charges this month are up by 10% compared to the same month one year ago. Electricity and Water are basics of life and the State should not allow this open profiteering.

Being only 23 years old, I know I don't exactly know how the world works, but I do know when I am being taken advantage of, and that is exactly what Duke Energy has done. I've moved recently and after 2 weeks of being in my new place, my power was shut off. So I called Duke to see what the issue was. They told me that I never put in a transfer of power when I was moving, and that I put in a disconnect. Completely FALSE! I told them pull up the recordings of our phone call, but did they? Of course not. Anyways, that's problem A.

Was requested to pay a deposit on an account we have had for 30 years. Was told it will be a great investment - you will earn 8% interest, will get your deposit and the earned interest back in one year. Called last month in June - you will get your check in the mail in July. Well, it's July. Get the power bill and they applied my money - great investment - to my power bill so guess what? No refund, no interest earned. Well, Duke Power seems to be able to lie to the customer and do as they please. No one can do anything about this. It's what the world has come to. Take your money and do as they please.

Requested transfer of services on 6/27/2014 by Darren @ Duke Energy. Power established on 6/30/2014. Received letter in the mail requesting a $262.00 deposit to have power established. I called the customer service number & was told that I agreed to this payment. NO, I DID NOT!!! I was told my meter would not be read until 07/30/2014 to determine my 1st bill. Moved in to my house today, 06/23/2014, to find my power disconnected with groceries in my refrigerator. Called the emergency outage number. The lady would do nothing about my power until I paid the $262.00. I paid the money and was told it would be turned on before midnight (it was around 10pm when this phone conversation took place). I asked for a courtesy call to let me know when the power was re-established. I was told, "Sorry we don't do that"!

Had a past due power bill of $345 & was told as long as it was paid at one of Puke Power's payment centers by 5pm, my power would not be disconnected. Well, I go to one of "their" payment centers & pay the $345 plus a $1.50 fee so they can squeeze every single cent out of you, at 3:35pm. The very next day, one of their contracted cut-off guys show up & cut off the power. I tried to show him the receipt to prove my past due payment was paid the day before but he could care less. I then asked him there must be some mistake & asked him to let me call Puke Power before he leaves, oh but no, he had many more cut-offs to do, which I'm sure they get paid a commission by how many they can cut off. So when I do get in touch with Puke Power, they said I paid it at the wrong payment center & my account wasn't credited until that day, not the day before! Oh and isn't it neat how they won't let you talk to anyone when your power is cut off. If you call from the number they have on file for your account, all you get is computers saying your power has been disconnected.

On June 16, 2014, I made a $150 cash payment to a pay station for Duke Energy. I figure that is more than half to satisfy our account. 2 days later, Duke Energy completely shut off our electric within an instant. So I call customer service and they said I have a past due of $87. So I went back to the pay station and try to make another payment with my check. The clerk told me I have to make a cash payment only. WTF, I then told clerk I always make a payment with a check and it clears. Even with Progress Energy. So I drove back home and call back Duke Energy.

In March 2014, I received a bill from Duke Energy for the amount of $1,874.98. My previous bills were around $270.00 for the winter months which is comparable to previous bills. I called to see what was going on! The first call I made, I was guaranteed a call back from an adjuster within 3 days. Six days later I called them back, then I was told my meter had been reading incorrectly for the past 6 months. Needless to say, I was IRATE! I told them if THEIR meter, which I am unable to tamper with, was malfunctioning, it was THEIR problem and they should have been on the situation a lot sooner and that I should have been informed way before my bill reached over 1,000 dollars higher than normal for a month's reading.

I made an account just to come on here like everyone else and complain about Duke Power. I have been with Duke Power for almost 10 years now. December of 2009, my service got disconnected. I called and told them I couldn't pay it until the day after and they said there was nothing they could of have done. So the next day when I got paid, I paid my bill, the re-connect fee, and all that other crap they tack on there. A week or two later, I got a letter saying I had to submit a $200 deposit or my services would be cut off. Unless I had a approved co signer. My dad was late on one payment so they denied that. So I borrow $200 and send in the check. Letter said they can hold it as long as they deem my payment history unacceptable. It's 2014 and guess what?! My payment history is still unacceptable! Imagine that! I will admit that I stay about a bill behind. But regardless they get the minimum payment each month.

Paid my bill late but paid it. Now they want another deposit of which I've already paid a deposit and they still have. But just decided it wasn't enough and wanted more money. First deposit I thought you was almost 200$ now they say they want another 225 just because it's gotta be something we can do to keep from being ripped off by this company.

Two months ago I received a bill saying that I owed 355.69. I paid it. About 2 weeks later they came and cut my power off. I met the meter man and asked him why he cut my power off and he told me to look at my bill and I would see that they took my security deposit and he had an order to cut my power off. WTF!!!!!!! How is that possible when I paid my bill. So I call Duke and they tell me that I now have to pay another 250 deposit plus a 300 fee. Does anyone know if we can sue these money hungry, no good for nothing crooks? Guess since they got fined we got to make up for their bonuses. Smh at these thieves

For the previous month I got charged $295.59. Okay, it's commercial property and I had AC going all day and night plus two fridges. So, since I didn't quite expect the bill so high but about $170 the most, I decided to cut off the AC and the fridges and had the little AC run in my office and coffee for in the mornings. It happens I have no water heater, why would I need one it's summer in Florida - hello! No shower, no washer, no dryer----hello?! Anyway, no fridge, no stove, no TV just the AC in my office and coffee pot, well guess what - new bill is $286!!! What!!?? I call their customer service so she tells me no need to get bent out of shape then she gets bent out of shape because I proved to her they do NOT do actual meter readings!!! Meter is in my garage and I have to let you in before you get to the meter unless you break in. Now, she is trying to make a fool out of me and tell me how are things in my own house.

First, the policy stating "who is using the power needs to pay" is absurd. Even though the property is in my name and the bills are paid by me, if I am not present at the house 7 days a week apparently, we don't get power. Second, the customer service for this company is a joke. I have worked in Customer Service, directly with customers, my entire adulthood and have never had such bad service and everywhere I have worked would not accept such behavior. A Burger King ran by young teenagers would have better customer service.

I live alone and have been an electrician for 18 years. I have calculated load for big areas to small areas and with this case used a power meter to check each device in my very small home. I have a total of 5 light bulbs that can be turned on, only two of which are really ever on, any more than 2 hours a day, a window 5000 BTU AC unit, a small water heater, computer, TV, and a microwave don't use stove. It's unplugged from wall and I use a laundry facility so NO Washer and Dryer. From June of 2014 to July of 2014 Fluke - I mean Duke Energy charged me $240 and here is the kicker. I shut main off for two weeks when I was out of town.

I live alone - no air conditioning - use cold water for everything except showers. Unplug all stuff at night except for fridge and washer&dryer. Hang out clothes, watch a small amount of tv and my bill has gone from $65 a month to $130.00. Have emailed and called for someone to check my meter but they say nothing is wrong. No one ever checked meter. They say they come out once a month and read meter, but I have never seen anyone out here and I rarely leave the house. I am 65 years old and disabled. My dog would have alerted me if anyone was in driveway as my meter is on screened in back porch. I live on $700.00 a month and they are killing me. Thanks for letting me rant and rave!!!!!!!!

Duke Energy keeps fluctuating my bill in their favor but yet no one can explain why my bill goes up every time the weather seem to change; if it's not a harsh cold winter it's a hot brutal summer. They have a good excuse for bill they jack up. The federal government should step into this. Just when I thought I was alone... Thanks to this website, I can let off some steam. My bill for 14 years with OUC has never exceeded 180 dollars. I live in a 1600 sq ft house just me and my girlfriend, no kids. Why is my light bill 137.00 dollars in June and in July 2014 it is close to 300 dollars. Something has to be done.

I have had electric service with Duke Energy for 13 years. Which is in fact a monopoly, which is forbidden by the US Constitution. I have never had my electricity disconnected. However, I have received several disconnection imminent notices, as I never get my e-bill, they have not though asked repeatedly changed my online account and this is the only "bill" they do send. I am elderly, in poor health, and was unemployed for 2.5 years due to an auto accident and still struggle to make ends meet. I am "economically disadvantaged". I do pay my bill every month.

I'm not exactly a long time customer but I have been a customer of Duke Energy for a few years and we finally had a financial crisis and they disconnected my service. I understand that but I do not understand why they cannot reconnect my service for four days during the hottest part of the summer when I have a 2 year old child and I'm under a doctor's order to stay inside and cool. They have shown me in the past how little they care about their customer but I guess when you're a government backed monopoly you can do anything you want. They care so little that they only let their employees submit reviews of services rendered. How pathetic. Thanks for not caring Duke Energy, you make financial hardship a breeze.

I moved into a 2 bedroom apartment with my 3 year old daughter and fiance. I had to call and transfer the electric from my landlord's name to mine. After being on the phone for 2 hours, repeating the address 4 times and being on hold for the longest time, everything was finally done! We moved in March 28, 2014. After living there for a month, I realized we did not receive an electric bill. I called Duke Energy and checked everything and explained I had not received anything. They told me they run a month behind. A month later once again no bill.

We've been with Duke power for more than 20 years now and had our power disconnected maybe 3-4 times in that span and paying the bill a month behind. So a couple off weeks ago we receive a letter from them stating they was charging us a $500.00 security deposit in addition to our bill of $201.47 because of a past due balance and any payment made on the bill would go on the deposit if not paid in full and the power will be disconnected and additional charges would incur before power would be restored. Is this going on with anyone else and is there any other action I can take to keep from being robbed anytime they want. Please advise.

Duke energy is a thief. I originally paid a small deposit to activate my account then literally 2 days past due they shut my electric off so I had to pay an extra fee to turn it back on then I had to pay a 200 dollar deposit to keep service going........ This has happened 2 times so far. They are nothing but a whole bunch of money hungry idiots!!!!!!

My wife and daughter were in a head on collision with a large truck in January, it is now June, thank God both are still alive. Anyway due to massive injuries my wife sustained she has been out work since that time, and this week we find out her company will not work with her to let her return to work light duty and has terminated her. We only have one income for 3 people with mortgage over a grand a month. At any rate, I made an accidental double payment in December to Duke Power due to online payment error, made a request for payment agreement in January/ February, paid what it said to pay in March, April, May, now I pay for June, 4 days late because my paycheck DID not come in till Friday the 20th.

I moved to Gastonia NC 5 years ago from the Milwaukee WI area. I think I lost Power in WI maybe 7 to 10 times in the last 30 years. And always restored rather quickly. We had blizzards, tornadoes, ice storms, and thunderstorms. Since I have been in Gastonia under Duke power, we have lost power AT LEAST 10 times and we are out for hours at a time. I had to buy a generator to keep my groceries from spoiling at least twice a year. It is pathetic. Get the lines buried, invest in your infrastructure or more people are going to move to co-ops and alternate energy.

Duke cut our power off at 9am this morning without any notice. I had just paid $109 3 weeks earlier. I paid the bill at 9:55am this morning, and as of 6pm it is still not reconnected. I called and asked if there was any way to expedite the reconnection process, as my mother in law was at the house and requires use of a nebulizer and oxygen. They told me the drivers don't have phones on the trucks and they had no way to contact them. They told me they would send me a medical form in the mail, so if this happened again, they would try to contact me before they cut the power off. Would have been nice if they had tried to contact me this time! Why couldn't they knock on the door instead of just leaving a note? They told me to be sure the breakers were turned off. I explained to them that nobody was home except my mother in law, who at this point could hardly breathe and certainly couldn't climb stairs to turn off the breakers. Horrible company. I truly believe they turned my power off just to collect the $25 re-connection fee.

Bills just will not come down, mine this month is $311.69 due. Have tried working with Duke-Energy out of North Carolina, and I live in South Carolina. But they to date are saying that I have not been paying them on time. I was on an equal payment plan but they have taken that down since we were forced from our home! And now if we do not pay this bill we are looking at disconnection and a 415.00 Dollar reconnect fee, plus another deposit of $150.00 dollars.

Power Pole behind my home fell over. When Duke Energy arrived, they told me that they would go across my front, side & backyard to complete the repair. I expressed my concern about damages, and ask them to use the 20' Utility easement at the rear of the property. They said it wasn't possible as neighbors have blocked the easement with Sheds, fences & trees. I shared with them that I was told by The City of Deltona anything a homeowner places on the easement would be removed at the owners expense. One Duke Energy employee said, "I'm asking you again for permission to go across your property." I said "no, please use the utility easement." He then phoned his supervisor Red ** and asked him to call the Sheriff. Deputy ** arrived and asked me to allow them to go across my property. I told the Deputy if Duke Energy would put something in writing to the effect that Duke would be responsible to repair any damages that would be fine. I was told supervisor Red ** was on his way and would accommodate me with such a letter.

Light bill jumped to $1,725.38 this winter and they said it was due to the Arctic air we received. I was with Progress Energy for over 7 years and not one time did it ever go over $200.00. This bunch is a rip off and I am a father of 5 kids and a foster parent. Thank God for my Church and the County DSS or I would be in the dark. That is exactly what I was told when I attempted to make some type of arrangements with them on paying my bill. Pay it or sit in the dark. Who are these people and why do they have the monopoly on the our power bill. We have nowhere else to go? So what do we do have heat or starve? Please pray for these people and have mercy on their souls, come judgement day when they meet their maker. Please someone start a class action lawsuit. Let's STOP them now before it's too late.......

St. Pete flat... Moved to another address. Was told my $360.00 deposit would go at new address. Well after almost 2 months, they send me a check for $250.00. The new house deposit was $105.00. My new bill was for $289.00. Do I have to pay a new deposit? They won't clarify...

Entire street without streetlights in a community where we have been having issues with vandalism. Call to have them come out to see what the problem is and they basically said they would be here in 3-5 business days which is actually 5-7 since it's Friday. He said unless it's a actual emergency like a fire (they are by the fire department by the way) they can't come out. Last time we have a light out, it was out for 3 months and I had to call every week for 3 months. He then told me that I don't pay for the streetlights, anyway the city does. I laughed and reminded him that taxpayers pay the city. What a terrible customer service policy they have that they do not care about safety of their customers. Carlton employee # ** was his name. Thanks Carlton.

As one would expect a high electric bill for the harsh winter of 2014, I did not expect to see fraudulent charges by my electric company "Duke Energy". Concerned about a bill I received in January for the month of December, I started recording my own meter and photographing the usage everyday at 5:30PM. My monthly calculation for kWh used was around 350-400 kWh a month. Duke Energy states that I used 3000+kWh per the winter months of 2014. Understand that I'm not upset about the money or the situation, but more so the dishonesty of the company. I have three years of records showing an average usage of 300-400 kWh during the winter months.

I received bill for $131.82 from the company. I saw they had a website, and I thought I would try it out to pay my bill. Well this was almost a $330.00 mistake. I filled out the blocks on the website to pay my bill such as routing number and account number and I submitted it. Now I paid the bill on May 14, 2014 but it wasn't due until May 20. The next day, I received an email from Duke Energy stating that they couldn't process my payment. I thought no big deal, so I just paid it on May 15 from my bank, via electronic payment. Now the bill was paid in full as of May 15.

I had a bill with Duke. On November 13, I had to pay 1700 to have my elec turned back on. They told me I had zero balance. I moved on Dec 10, 2013. They turned on the service at the new house and told me I had a balance of 1286.00. After going back and forth with James in the corporate office I get nowhere. They turn off service again at the new house. I call James but he doesn't return calls so I was told to pay 1306.00. So I run and pay and call them with the receipt number but even though I called to get the exact amount they then tell me I have to pay 806.00 more because the new bill was processed in the 30 min it took to go pay and call them back. So now they won't power back on till that's paid. They were rude and didn't care. They make their own rules as they go but nobody will do anything about. It's like they run everything. Somebody needs to shut them down. Who's with me? By the way, James' number is **. Blow his phone up. ** Duke Energy.

So we just recently moved to a new address. I called Duke Energy to have my service transferred from our old home to the new one. Now mind have you at the old house I had to pay a deposit when we moved in. Well I'm not doing well financially but I paid it. Through the winter months, I couldn't pay the entire bill so I just paid the forward balance. Well, without being turned off, I get a bill stating I have to pay ANOTHER deposit!! Adding about 300$ to my already high bill, I have no choice but to pay it. Then we move. Well, guess what? Another deposit!! For a total of three service, never having been disconnected.

My bill has been over $200.00 for the past 4 months. When I can no longer afford it, they did not even give me a notice before cutting it off. They cut it off before 1:00 pm. I paid what had to be paid in that same hour and here I am at 10:39 still with no power because they claim that they have till midnight! I feel they take advantage of us because they know we need power, yet I feel powerless!!

I have been on a payment plan since February 2014 because of a very cold winter with high heat bills. I had paid my plan every month around the same day. I have not missed 1 payment. Now as of May, the payment is due a week before all of the other payments were and the payment has doubled. I have 4 kids and as a single parent I already kind of have a hard time to make the payments that I did have to make. Now it's doubled. Of course I called Duke Power and I explained to the lady the First time, not only my payment is due a week sooner but is doubled. I had explained to the rep now because of that date, I don't get paid from my job until 4 more days. It's like no matter what the circumstance was, Duke Energy would not, I mean would NOT even extend it 1 more day from that date that they just pulled from their trick of Hats.

I am retired and on a fixed income. My light bill has been $66.00 a month with Progress Energy for years. I live alone in a townhouse that is well insulated. I keep my thermostat at 72 degrees. I don't wash clothes or dishes everyday. Why would my light bill go up by 33% with Duke Power? That may not seem like a lot to some, but to me it's a lot of money and it's a shame that Duke Power is able to charge whatever they deem possible without any explanation for the increase. I am furious!

Why are these bills so high? We had an Ice storm in Feb. The lights were off for about a week. Those bills were running $350 to $700. What are we paying for? It is not right and something needs to be done. Every month these bills are higher and higher. Please help us here in Marion SC. Thanks.

I received a bill for $345.00 (which is more than twice my average bill) but we had some cold spells hit Eastern, NC so I took a deep breath and dealt with it. It was due on the 17th of April which was a Thursday. I paid $95.00 Thursday and then paid $155.00 on Saturday (because when I looked online, it stated that I needed to pay $154.--). Monday morning (9:10 am), I call the customer service line and I spoke with a young lady name Shanika. I told her what I paid so far and if there was anything else I needed to pay so I would not be disconnected. She stated to me that I need to pay $94.57 right away or I will be disconnected today (21st). I asked her if I need to call back with a confirmation number and she said no because the system will automatically update; that was the extent of the conversation. She said nothing else, so she transferred to the EZ pay line and I paid $95.00 totaling $345.00 (what I owed). I felt confident in the matter so I left it alone and continued my day at work.

April 7, 2014, I received my Duke Power bill which included my past due amount, my current amount due and a 398.00 Security Deposit due to my payment history over the past year. I have had an account with Duke Power for over 16 years and the Security Deposit I paid then wasn't what they are asking for now. Where is that Security Deposit? I think Duke is trying to use their customers to clean up their ASH SPILL by hitting us in the pocketbooks with this bogus Security Deposit. After 16 years, now they have a problem with me giving them 225.00 EVERY MONTH.

I have been with Duke Energy in NC since the middle of September 2013. My bill was pretty low since it was prorated, like $4-.--. In October 2013, my bill was something like $12-.--. Once November hit the bill went way up to like $270. I was floored! I couldn't pay it. Then they sent me December's bill... I now owed well over $800! I called and asked why my bill had skyrocketed so much. All they could tell me was how it was colder this time of year and that my type of home was poorly insulated and was drafty and that my heat was working twice as hard to keep warm. I explained how my heat was set on a specific temperature and that I hadn't noticed it cutting on more than normal. All they could suggest was a payment plan... so i agreed to it.

Two years ago when my husband passed away, I bought an old two storey farmhouse in the country. My bills were a bit high, but I knew we had little insulation. In December I received a bill for $404.79. In January it was $527.48, and in February it was 580.00!!! March was 475.96. I live in this house with my 23 year old son who has Asperger’s Syndrome, and Social Anxiety Disorder, and I have custody of my 4 year old grandson, who has just been diagnosed with ADHD. We survive on my late husband's Social Security, and I receive no food stamps, nor have I personally had health insurance in over 2 years now. I do not know how we can keep paying for electricity and food too!

Duke Energy cheat people and bill them based on an estimation of people in the area. I called and asked about why my bill is so high. I live in a two-bedroom apartment and am rarely home. I asked when the meter man would come next and they said they can sit across the street and read meters in a mobile unit. Yeah right!

It's a shame of what Duke Energy is doing to us. My bill start coming last year over $300 per month, all of the sudden drop down the beginning of this year. My last bill was less than $20. I thought probably they notice that I was overpaying. They sent someone on March to check the meter, they fix it. Yesterday I rec'd a huge bill over $700. They said since the meter broke, they had to look into the 2012 charges and go by them. Supervisor said I can get a payment plan or I can go and get assistance,. I'm thinking he meant to social services. At the end, I just blessed them, and I pray that they don't get to be in our situation. God knows how hard we work for our money.

I think that this company has lost some humanity for sure. Same problem; they claim they can't do same day service on/off. They cut power to old residence on the wrong day (we requested a different day, they claim it's the day we selected to shut-off power). Meanwhile, a family is moving in, and cut power on Friday, and refused to fix it until Monday. Worst customer service. People are horrible, and they treat you just terrible. Paying customer on time for years. (progress of course)

I can no longer afford to pay these thieves. I have a 12 year old son that I am trying to feed. Dukes Energy is ruthless, evil. I have no money left for food for the next 5 days. I make too much money to qualify for assistance.... What can I do? I am all for a class action law suit. $408.00 light bill....previous month was 140.00.

I scheduled my payment to come out on a specific date. They cut the lights out 2 days before. I called to let them know and they do not talk to you about it. You wind up paying it then or being without power. I explained I'm using oxygen, they do not hear you or don't care. (In need of prayer) I then get the next bill with an added 110 deposit... They are ripping people off. What goes around comes around. I hope they are praying every night because this is definitely cheating people. Progress Energy was so much better.

My 88-year old mother has ALZ so I've been helping her pay her bills. I lost my job in Dec. Suddenly in over the winter her bills ballooned to $475 per month. She's on a fixed income. I made payment arrangement in January and have met each payment. Suddenly in March they hit her with an additional $473. Now they want her to pay $812 or they will disconnect her lights by 31-Oct. I called and spoke with 3 people and asked them to give her 4 more days until the 3rd (when she gets her SS $1,400) and they all refused. One woman named Tiara was downright rude.

I am in dispute with Duke Energy over my current gas bill. I would expect that the gas bill would be higher in colder months but my bill has gone up 450% from one month to the next. There is no way they can convince me that a dip in temperatures caused my bill to go from $100 (average winter bill) to $4500. I have a small three-bedroom home, no basement. This is just the gas bill as my residence has another provider for electricity.

We are seniors and were told we could pay $113.00 per month for electric. I received a notice they were stopping my electric unless I paid them $65.00 immediately. I called them and they told me I owed another $200.00. They would not take the payment by phone without a charge, so I paid online the way I did when Progress Energy was our company. They had given me a flat rate of $113.00 per month. Now I have no idea what I will be paying? I have paid this month, March $325.00. How could my electric go up that much? Then I saw the news on MSNBC that Duke Energy is pumping chemicals into the river in North Carolina and nobody is doing anything about it. I wish we had Progress Energy back!

Paid a bill online. Posted then they turn off power. Called and they said I got to pay new bill, had paid min. amount at the time before due date. Times were hard. Anyway I paid in full. To avoid further problems like this. I then turn around and paid $300.00 on a 0 balance bill. Thinking next bill should have some type of credit. Instead I got the new bill plus I GOT to give $309.00 on top of that. Outraged, I called them to be told so what, basically pay it or else have no power. They are the only power company In the area. Not fair, I been a customer for over 10 years not going anywhere. This will be my 3rd time paying them a deposit. I don't have it like that. I got other bills as well. Thank whoever reads this.

I live in a house with my Landlord, and she has a separate meter from me, thus our bills come separate. The last few months, her electric bill has been $80-90 while mine has been $150-200, when normally, they are $40-50/$80-90 respectfully.. Over the last few months, I have altered my lifestyle so I can save as much electricity as possible. I use all energy saving bulbs, when I go to bed or leave my house, all the breakers are flipped off, my water heater is only turned on for washing dishes or bathing, appliances are unplugged when not in use, I do not use heaters or air conditioners, and the switches to parts of the house that go unused are flipped off permanently, yet my bill has continued to rise and has tripled since Duke took charge. All my landlord, whom is a woman in her eighties, uses is a TV, her fridge and a couple lights.

Let me preface, my wife and I live in a High end building downtown. High end energy efficient appliances, fixtures, highly insulated etc. When we first moved into the building, we actually lived in the unit directly next door. Our bill was always between $75-$100 max. Has been for over a year. As of recently, we moved into a slightly larger Loft. Not by much though. I just received Jan 24- Feb 27th bill and it is $300! 3 to 4 times the amount normally without any explanation. It is only my wife and I, who work 10-12 hrs a day away from home, and usually gone most weekends. We keep the thermostat at 68 during the winter months, which is as low as I can tolerate. Exactly the same as we did in the other unit.

Our electric power went out at 8 a.m. on 03/07/2014 due to recent ice storm. I hooked up my generator and ran it until about around 8 p.m. when I got an automated call from Duke Energy that my power had been restored. After turning off generator, I found that I still had no power and Duke's Automated call was a lie. I then attempted to crank generator back up, but it would not crank and my wife and 3 young children had to sleep all night with no power. On 3/082014, I worked on generator in morning and got it working. Between 2 and 3 p.m.

During the recent snow storm I went online to pay on my light bill, when to my surprise I was set for disconnection. I called customer service, I was told a cut off notice had been sent, but I never received it. They also told me they called. I went through my voicemails and heard nothing. I had to take from my rent in order for my lights not to be turned off during the snow and ice storm. I finally got the notice on Feb. 14. The notice was dated Feb 6 with no postage stamp on it. I later found out I was not the only one this happened to.

New road going in next to my house. Line had to dropped Monday to remove large tree. Duke crew alerted in Greensboro instead of Charlotte. Project delayed half a day. Then today Duke Energy came to my door with orders to disconnect my service from the house. Another mix up. What is going on? Hard to reach anyone.

My bill has recently doubled even though I have flipped off all of my breakers to my house. My average bill is $142.00 per month. My last bill was $389.00. I have 4 days to go before my next billing statement. I live within my means. I have no hot water. I don't use my stove or oven. I don't use my central air or heater. I have no lights. I have only a single breaker on for my TV and computer. I unplugged the refrigerator. I have lived this way for going on 4 years now.

I having been living with my daughter since mid Oct-2013 due to being ill. It is now Feb-2014. During this time frame my electric bill has continued to go up.... The problem is all circuit breakers are off including the MAIN BREAKER..... It's amazing the meter keeps turning out kilowatts. Duke came out and said the meter is working perfectly.... which tells me the meter is fixed to charge for much more than the actual amount. I called the Fla state utility consumer affair.

On Tuesday February 25, 2014 Duke Electric removed the meter on the back of my home. After numerous phone calls and speaking with various customer service reps and someone from the corporate offices I was told we were stealing power. Bills were paid every month for the amount due but it seems either in December or January I am totally confused some one fooled with the meter. It probably was not a child but a person with knowledge of electricity. So even though I was getting and paying bills every month I was only paying what was charged the meter was not sending the correct amount used. So I am in the wrong and have to pay $767.00 to Duke to put back my meter and restore my power. I live on Social Security and my daughter and three children live in the house. How am I supposed to pay this kind of money? Where do I turn?

I have had an ongoing problem with Duke Energy. Where do I begin.. Recently moved to a different county. Called Duke to find out what the deposit would be when I moved into a rental. I asked several questions. How much was the average bill. That kind of thing. I even stated that the reason I was asking is because I need to figure that into my budget to see if I could afford this rental. I was told $325.00 was the deposit. I told them I would call back to set up it up. I had not even moved in yet. I called back a couple of days later to have turned on, paid my deposit. Moved in to house, lights were on. Did not think anything about it.

Point blank period, Duke Power has been adding more watts on to my bill and I have been trying to speak with someone. I am going to sue them, they changed my meter and my bill has been no less than 600 bucks each month... I have an 1100 sq foot home. I am heated.

First in late November, Duke Energy ran over my septic tank lines on my rental property. A claim was submitted with 2 estimates. The person I want to do the repairs (still not done due to weather) was $200.00 more. Amber ** with Sedgwick informed me too bad, you are going to take the lower estimate and pay the difference if you use the man referred to you! Six weeks ago, they did more damage. I was told by a friend whose husband works for Duke Energy, a work order has been sent in. Haven't seen or heard from anyone on the second damage. Third, I have a house with no one living in it, heating system is oil (which is broken) one light on, one stove plugged in, one refrigerator on and one small oil radiator heater with 120v- 60Hz 1500 W. Power Bill for this residence is $185.00!!!!

My light bill has tripled and all they can tell me is, it has been cold. Its ridiculous. I live in a small two bedroom apt. $500 is outrageous...

I have lived in the same apt. for four years. My bills have ranged anywhere from $86-$95 with the very highest being $109 for the coldest month. My bill for December was $197.07 with Kilowatt usage of 2015. My typical usage is 820 on avg kilowatt usage. Then for January it was $270 and the kilowatt usage was 2678 usage. I also was gone for 6 days in January during the reading that they took. How is this possible I ask? I called Duke Power and they refuse to check my meter claiming that my bill increase is due to the weather. However when I ask my neighbors who are in the same apartment theirs is maybe $110-$120. So you tell me what is going on!! I feel that there is something very fishy going on here. Is anyone else having problems? I have contacted Action Nine News to investigate. I am a single mom of two kids and cannot afford $300 power bills for a 1000 sq ft apartment. I can't imagine what it will be next month since we had snow for three days and I will have been there the whole time through the billing cycle.

Duke claimed that our usage rate doubled within a 25 day period. Customer service and "technical support" was rude and offensive. Sabastian tried to explain that in colder weather the usage goes up. Other than rude argument, they are unwilling to examine the problem. I realize that they will do nothing. Problem: The increased bill comes directly from food. I have no recourse.

To start off Duke Energy is awful! There is something sneaky going on with how they are charging their customers! For the last 2 months, our bill has went from $170 to $360! Our kilowatts has never been over 1800. They are charging us for 3300 kilowatts. How can that double in 2 months when we are not doing anything different than normal? When you call customer service, they are very rude and try blaming it on the weather or that we need energy efficient appliances! You get no real answers but lies! When you ask to speak to a manager the customer service rep changes her name when she gets back on the phone. There needs to be an investigation on what is going on. I think we will contact our local news to see if they can look into this. I see lots of other post about the same problem with in the last 2 months. We all aren't going over what we normally use! Sometime is wrong. We can't afford a $390 light bill!!!! HELP!!

My husband and I moved from a 8 room house to a 2 bedroom apt and the electric bills are ridiculous! We paid a $335 bill for Feb. brought it current and when the new bill came out it's now over $520! I am very upset with this and feel that we are being ripped off and there isn't a thing we can do about it. Something has to be done about this. My electric is almost more than my rent. I dread seeing next month's bill... This is so unfair something has to be done about this.

We've lived in the same 1300 sq. ft. home for 5 years and have never had bills as high as the last 2 months. Our bill is normally between 150-210 on the coldest of months. Our bill from mid-Dec - mid-Jan was $290 with an increase in kWh usage by literally 1000 kwh! Just got another bill today after being extra careful this past month and now they say we used 400 kwh more than last month, a total of 3100 kwh!!!!! Previously our highest ever in 5 years was 1900 kwh! Something very fishy is going on! Believe it has something to do with them digitally 'estimating' usage or so they say, they don't actually come out and read your meter. Who knows, all I know is that it's a croc! Don't know what we'll do if this continues, we can't afford it!

Called about the fact that the power bill almost tripled in one month. Customer service was very short and annoyed by my questioning of the details in the bill. Spoke to a supervisor who was worse - rude, would not answer questions that I asked, simply gave me the "textbook" answer about the weather.

I'm writing this for one of my staff, Joy ** of ** Wilmington, NC. She has been out of power for the last four days with no response from Duke but one phone call to her mobile that her power was on, which it wasn't. There was no physical damage to her or her three neighbors power lines. When she complained that service truck came to her neighborhood to do repairs up the street from her they neglected to check to see what the issue was. She was told that she would have to wait without any idea how long she would still be without of power. That's what happens when you have to deal with a monopoly. Shame on Duke/Progress.

I am a former Florida Power customer, which was bought out by Progress Energy and know Duke Energy. My husband and I live in a double wide. We recently noticed that the pole which holds the Meter owned by Duke Energy is splitting and in serious need of replacement. I called the light company to get information on who was responsible for the replacement of the pole. Like any company that one calls for information, I received many conflicting answers. Amazing enough the first representative spent twenty minutes researching the answer to my question. I was told that because the meter was attached to the pole, Duke Energy was responsible for replacing it, and that an engineer would come and assess the situation.

Duke Energy is very consistent. They read my meter every 32 days, so they can charge at the higher fuel charge and energy charge. I have called to complain about this, but all I am told is that is the standard. This company needs to be held accountable for correct meter readings. They should also have to check meters to make sure they are read correctly. No one should be charged above 30 days on a bill, especially if it puts them in the higher charges. If they can not read the meter in 30 days they should automatically charge at the lower rate, regardless of usage. It is their fault for not reading the meter every 30 days or less.

We have not lived in our home since August of 2013. Going to school, we only have our heat pump and refrigerator on that is using electricity and our thermostat is at 53 degrees. It is a newer heat pump not an old one. Last year we lived in the home with same heat pump and same refrigerator as a family of four and our KWH was way less for January than what it is this January when the home is vacant. I called and they said we had to have something wrong in the home, when I insisted on that I did not they went on to ask what type of curtains were hung in the home.

Seems Duke Energy has completely neglected the power lines. They have not cleared them as their own rules tell them to do, allowing thousands of users to be without power due to trees in this minor storm we had. Now they are saying it will be a week before they are repaired when there is not even one bit of ice or snow on the ground or lines. Pathetic, someone should sue them for their neglect....

I am shocked that when I ask specific questions, I get lies as answers! I have a Master's degree and do not like being spoken to as if I have no brain. I have complained and complained about my meter needing to be replaced. As far as I know, it has not been changed since 1994. I know there is water inside the glass. Sometimes, whole pools of water just sits there, it's not only condensation at all! I do not have a Smart meter. Yet, no one reads my meter to properly bill me. I know that they are using averages, lol, or just guessing. That is the way it seems.

Duke energy has added a security deposit to this month bill, we've had the service since March of 2012 and it's been a constant battle keeping up with this company. We deal with other utility companies however only one of our properties has Duke energy and it takes more of our time then all the others combined. Last month we contacted the Indiana commission and filed a report on Duke energy who in returned [Duke] submitted their documentation showing the opposite of what they've done to us therefore the commission found in Duke's favor.

Something has to be done. Light bill has risen dramatically the last 3 months... from $132 to $232... to $339... Now $429... Impossible... moved into the home this time last year. First bill was $165... $189 has been the highest and that was for July 2013. There is no way possible the light bill is accurate and has risen this much in 3 months. When I received the $232 bill, immediately starting being more cautious of reckless energy use... timer on TVs at night... no motion sensor lights outside. Thermostat is at constant 70 degrees, I even turn the power strip off when I leave. This is insane. They will hear from me TODAY!!

I called customer service to obtain information/advice about why my bill was unusually high for January. It took four tries to finally figure out how to access the cleverly hidden "speak to customer agent" option. Once there, I was on hold for 20 minutes. After telling the agent my concern, she said, "Let me check that out," and placed me on hold again. I waited another 20 minutes before hanging up. It burns me up to to know we all pay this company more than they deserve and then their "customer service" blows us off on the telephone. I really, really despise this company, and so does everyone else in my town.

I have Duke Energy and as the print out or display online of what charges come from... example heat, lights, water heater... I now have print outs of appliances, hot tub, things I don't even have that they are charging me for. Fraudulent charges and if blamed on a malfunction of a smart meter then just think of how many customers are being charged fraudulently. One mistake for 8 months I've researched means a lot of mistakes for the 1000's of customers who end up overpaying each month. They are going to end up getting a lot of media attention from my story. I ask you to review your detailed bill breakdown carefully. This is the beginning of everyone finding out Duke's criminal activities against the customers who keep them in business.

I have been a customer for over 20 years and have moved to a new apartment. Duke Energy says I have to pay a deposit of 250 dollars for late payments but I was never disconnected. I am retired and a senior citizen. How is it they can get away with this robbing and thievery without using the deposit to pay the late bills? What do they do with the deposit anyway? Put it in a savings account for me or what. They should so I can earn interest or something. I am paying my bill. They expect you to go 12 months with only two late payments to remain in a low default category. This is an all time low because we have to have this service, it is not like we don't.

I have paid my bill online since it became available many years ago, never had problem before Duke took over. Now, every time I go in to pay my bill, the website is down. If I call to pay by phone, they charge extra fee, no ** way. If I cannot pay on time because it is their fault, now they want a new deposit? No ** way.

$188 December bill Paid in Full on 12/26/2013 & my newest bill I just received is $240.00. I live in a 1-Bedroom Apartment & this is outrageous. It looks like Duke is Billing for Estimated Future kWh usage. Sneaky, Sneaky!!

Last Thursday, 1/23/2014, my power was shut off by Duke Energy. When I immediately called, I was told that the online payment system was not very good and that my e-bill which showed that I did not need to pay until 1/31/2014 - and that there was a pending payment in the system for that date was incorrect and I would be billed $40 for re-connection. When I asked to speak to a supervisor, the representative told me that she would not connect me with a supervisor as there was no process in place to do so, however, I would receive a call back in 1 to 2 days.

I received my bill for December and it was extremely high, nearly double last year yet the degree days were only about 7% higher. Here's the problem: We heat with wood no electric. We were out of state for 8 days which I shutdown the water heater, shutdown our well and drained house. No Christmas tree, no Christmas lights nothing left on but our refrigerator. We were without power at least two other days that you could tack onto that! So 1/3 of the month we weren't here or had no power. During one of the outages it sounded as if someone hit the side of the house from the bang and they still refuse to check the meter! Their response is OUR METERS CAN'T MAKE MISTAKES. This exact same thing happened 3-4 years ago where we had a $400.00 plus electric bills and they refused to check the meter. Luckily then we had an ice storm and a branch hit the meter and it had to be replaced. All went back to normal, now 4 years later same thing.

Duke Energy sucks. I added 12 inches of batt insulation to my attic over the pre-existing 6 inches (present since home construction in 1979). Stopped using my hot tub this summer (I'm told they add up to $10 a month to the bill). We are doing nothing different power wise from the Dec-Jan cycle last year, yet my bill says I have used 31 more kw (same number of days) this month than the same month last year. How is this possible? Duke is using the remote reading system which I feel is not accurate. Who do I complain to about this problem? I want to go back to the manual reading system, even if it is not convenient for them.

Month after month the Duke Energy bill is extravagantly high! The last 2 months bills have been in the $300s! Yes, it is winter, and yes we had a few days near zero; however, we are not running central heat at all! We have used space heaters in our rooms at night only and one in our living room only while occupied! The temperature in our home is in the 50's and when the outside temperature was 3 degrees, our inside temp was in the 40's (or below as it doesn't register below that). Needless to say, this is quite perplexing! These bills are nearly impossible to pay! When I've asked customer service, they have ensured me the readings are accurate. I do not see how this is possible when our bill is now over $350! We have even switched out all bulbs in our home to energy saving ones and we are sure to turn them off when not in use. This is highly frustrating when there is no other electrical service available or allowed in this area, thus forcing a monopoly on us!

Used to have IPL service (for 10+ yrs); moved into a Duke Energy service area Mar 2013. Moved into a smaller living space (994 sq ft now), using the exact same appliances, exact same members in the household, no changes in our daily activity. Light bill immediately TRIPLED in amount since we moved here & I've been calling Duke for the last 3 months after my bill started to exceed $300. They just read through a list of common ways to lower your bill (already were doing those) & then recommended we unplug our washer & dryer when it isn't in use. Seriously? That's awful advice; it's not even logical. So infuriated. Needless to say we are moving again & I absolutely refuse to move anywhere that is serviced by Duke Energy.

In November & December 2013, I went out of town for 3 weeks and then 2 and while gone, I turned my thermostat off. I usually keep it at 69-70 and I unplugged washer, dryer, TVs, lights. While I'm out of the state and I live by myself, so no one is home turning on/off lights, running hot water, cooking, doing laundry. Somehow, my usage was higher in November and now December, bill tripled. Both months are also higher than Dec. 2012 when I had both of my heating units working (my son lived with me then). When I called customer service 1/16/14, Donna the representative just keep insisting the reading is accurate. I used over 1000kg. Yet when I ask how can she prove that, she says it's a digital reading from up to a mile away. She proceeds to tell me or make an excuse that it was cold this winter (daily ave. 42 degrees).

I moved out of my residence on 6 December 2013. I called Duke Energy and informed them please shut my power off on 6 Dec. 2013. But due to a holiday training they couldn't until 9 or 10 Dec. 2013. So I informed them no one would be in the house, she said okay, that the technician can do it. So I waited for my final bill and it's over 1200 dollars. I called and asked why. Well because the Nov. to Dec. cycle bill was 591 dollars and I had a past due of 591 dollars from October to Nov., then all the taxes and over usage. So then then they deducted the deposit and brought it to $1229.44. So again I asked her how is it possible for it to be that much for 13 days that I was not home. How am I paying for over 1000 kWh for energy and fuel if I am not home and nothing is plugged in. I was told that's an actual reading. I asked can I contest it, I was told no. Can I refute this, I was told no. Can I speak to someone who will maybe help me understand this, she said, I am sir. I said how about a supervisor or someone higher than you. She said okay, someone will call you in 48 hours. What the heck, seriously if no one is home for 13 days how can it be the same amount as a 29 day rotation cycle.

In December 2013, I went out of town for 2 weeks and while gone, I lowered my thermostat to 65 degrees. I usually keep it at 70-75 and I unplugged washer, dryer, tv's, lights. Keep in mind, while I'm gone, there's no one there turning on/off lights, running hot water, cooking, doing laundry, running a blow dryer/vacuum. Yet somehow, my usage was higher in December than in November and also higher than Dec 2012 when I DIDN'T UNPLUG ANYTHING OR LEAVE FOR 2 WKS. When I called customer service, she just keeps insisting the reading is accurate. Yet when I ask how can she prove that, she says it's a digital reading from up to a mile away. WHAT?! Then she goes onto make up the excuse that it was cold this winter. IT WAS COLD LAST WEEK, NOT IN DECEMBER. While I was out of town, the temperatures were as high as 71 degrees where I live! I'm disgusted and want to know what I can do to fight this ridiculousness!

Omg, this is crazy. I was with OUC over in Orlando, Florida. Never had a problem with my bill. Great comp. No I'm using Duke. Wow, been her 3 months now. Here it is Jan just getting my 1st bill with all the info on it. Now the bill before that was 260 dollars and it said I used 1000 kw and went over 900 charging me 40 ga fuel. That was for the month of Nov to Dec. Now this bill is for 12/2013-01-2014 for 622 with me using 4000kw of power charging me energy fee of 76 for the 1st 1000 then 270 for the 3140 above the 1000 fuel charge. 40 for the 1st 1000 and 158 for 159 giving me a fee of 622 dollars. Wow, me and my kids are gone all day till 9:00 at night. There's no way in the hell we used 4000 kw of power. I'm a call my local news if this happens again... sad, and the BBBs.

My bill was at an all time low a month before the Duke Energy Progress energy merger, 165$. Then they hit me with a 233$ deposit out of the blue. Said they would even break it down to payments!!! Ever since then, my bill is been over the top and rising!!! Someone PLEASE HELP. DUKE ENERGY must be stopped!!!! They are robbing the poor!!!

I was moving from one house and had my services shut off and transferred to the new house on 12/31/2013. My bill was all paid up to date as confirmed by Duke Energy themselves. They did inform me that there would be a $17 transference fee. However, I received a bill today (01/07/2014) and lo and behold it for $726.81! I called in to complain about this and was told that it could be due to the XMAS season, or that perhaps we were running things that contributed to such a high bill! I informed the representative that couldn't be the case as we don't observe the XMAS Holiday (and most others for that matter).

I am so angry right now I can hardly type this complaint. Duke Power had sent me a letter, stating that the C.I.P program didn't pay them the $364.79 they committed to pay for me on December 11, 2013. I was to pay $140.00 this January 11 as I agreed in a payment arrangement. They added the $140.00 to the $364.79 and the total is $504.56. To be paid on January 6 by 5:00pm or be disconnected on January 7, 2014. I was FURIOUS. I called them and the lady said the C.I.P didn't honor their commitment and I had to pay it. They would be out no matter if the weather is 14 degrees and disconnect my lights. I told the lady I was sick and my son was sick and we had Doctor's appointments, could she please give me a few days so I could find out what happened and she said, "No, we can only give you until today at 5:00pm or you will be disconnected in the morning."

Your company has the potential to set any amount they want to stick it to the public in the winter months they want. My home here at Lake Waynnoka is a small home. We use propane heat in the winter to heat our home with a small space heater. In Nov of 2013 my bill was $161.00. In December of 2013 no Christmas lights and no Christmas tree with lights and they billed me for $198.00. During that Nov to December billing cycle our electric was off for at least 12 hrs. "THE BILL WENT UP." Now I just want to say that when we all pass through this world to the next stage of moving on, we will answer to a much higher source of energy name "God almighty" and those who stuck it to the poor, will answer to God, for their deeds of humanity which they have done. "And duke" you will get your Mr. Energy who's in charge.

Just received my January bill from Duke. I was late paying at the end of the year; however utilities were never shut off and all late fees paid and acct was paid in full at the first of December. Thinking that I am all caught up. The bill for January has a $340.00 security deposit along with $97.00 toward a deposit from the payment in December. This is why there should be more than 1 carrier of the utilities in this area. This practice sucks along with Duke.

Our house was built in 1961 and renovated several times when we bought it. We had lived there over 11 years and been in the $4.99/month program for several years when we noticed one part of a plug in our kitchen not working, so we called. The electrician who came out disconnected our circuit (meaning he shut down all the kitchen plugs) and after taking apart the switch, he said "CODE VIOLATION, we are not responsible" and he left. He left the circuit turned off, the loose wires hanging out of the wall, etc. When I called DUKE ENERGY, they said they are not responsible and if I want to pay then I could but other than that, I am stuck. I can no longer use ANY of the PLUGS in my kitchen!!

We too were hit with the outrageous security deposit due to late payments. We have not been disconnected but we have been late. We are paperless billing so we never received any notice of this ridiculous policy. When we bought our home 2 years ago, we did not need a security deposit due to good credit. Now, due to health problems & work being short, we have struggled more this year than ever. But we have paid our bills. Now, right at Christmas, we receive a Duke Energy bill for nearly $700. Over $400 of it for a security deposit. It is sickening. Was on the phone with their inept staff for over an hour & they all read off the exact same card - "There is nothing you can do". They are willing to divide this 'deposit' into payments.

I called Duke to complain that my bill had gone from $85 one month to $162 the next month. I explained to them that nothing had changed in that month. They refused to send someone to check the meter and only offered me a lot of ridiculous reasons as to why the bill increased. Something has to be done about this company. How can so many people be held hostage by this company and nothing be done. I complained to the North Carolina Utilities Commission who promised to check and get back to me, but honestly I don't have much hope that anything will be resolved. Bottom line, pay or else.

I have had a severe financial setback and have a late bill. I call and begged them to let me have just until 12/13/2013 and I could pay all I owe. The first thing they said was they couldn't help but I could call some agencies that would help with the bill. Now mind you I wasn't asking for money, just a few more days. But I called each one. Pinellas County Dept. of Social Services. They said they didn't know why I was given their number because they have no financial assistance available and haven't had for quite some time. Then Urban League- They have no help until January. Salvation Army- They have been given no money this month. Day Star- They can't help. I called back and told a rep. and she proceeded to rudely say, "I know they help. We can't help you." This is extremely distressing to someone who is in a dire situation. What more can I do? They need to get their information right.

Because I have never gotten to this point I have never realized that you have until 5 pm to pay your bill. I thought in reading the bill that I had until the end of the day. Today I called at 5:04 after a friend told me I had to be done by 5 and was seriously denied my payment and told I had to pay my bill in its entirety. I must admit that if knew where else to seek electricity I would! This is terrible service and I've been a loyal customer for over 5 years!! I'm very upset I wouldn't recommend Duke to anyone! The company has no consideration for the fact that most of us working parents don't get off until 5 pm! Very disappointed and dissatisfied!!!!

Ever since we were changed from Progress Energy to Duke Energy, it takes at LEAST 10 days for our payment check to clear our checking account, EVEN though all businesses participate in electronic check clearing. I called Duke and, of course, they said they "cannot control what happens at the Post Office". Well, NOT ONE other check I mail each month to pay a bill take anywhere NEAR 10-15 days to clear my checking account... NOT ONE.

Specially, on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at approximately 4:45 p.m., I called Duke Energy to identify what my bill would be; knowing that I've been home only twice since October 18, 2013 since the passing of my stepfather who lived in Bloxom, VA (approximately 4 hrs. & 45 mins away from Durham, NC). A customer service rep. from Duke Energy informed me that my bill was $95.00. I informed her that I just called there to check on my bill last week (Friday, November 29, 2013) and my account was zero. I shared that all lights were off and heat was turned down also; in addition, I shared with the sales rep that I've only been home twice since October 18, 2013. And one of those days I went to work, so I wasn't home that much that day.

My husband, 1-year-old son, and I recently moved into a new house. We opened a new account with DUKE Energy about a month ago. At the time of opening our account, I was told that we were responsible for a $320 security deposit due to our credit rating. This was absurd to me because I have excellent credit (obviously because we just jumped through the hoops of buying a house!). Nevertheless, they ASSURED me that I could stretch that security deposit out over a four-month span (basically they would divide the $320 by 4 and then add that amount to my bill for four months so that we did not have to drop the money all at once). 2 DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVES assured me that this would be the case.

SINCE Duke took over and Destiny of North Carolina consumers energy they DECLARED A WAR AGAINST US . While Progress Energy was still around, people with fixed income and small business used to have some kind of flexibility to negotiate sometimes agreements to pay the energy bill. NOW Mr. Duke has the Monopoly and determinations to FINISH that kind of "social benefits" and besides started climbing the monthly bill and requirements of GUARANTEE DEPOSITS with double or triple amount of the monthly consumer bill.. Looks like our state government and representatives they were CALLED to a SILENT CONSPIRATION because NONE of them opened their mouths to say a SINGLE WORD.

When Duke officially 'took over' a few months ago, they pro-rated EVERYONE'S bill, increased rates, changed online payment methods, does not accept Amex (which I would usually use), changed to a 3rd party payment service KUBRO which charges ANOTHER $2.40. I recently called because I am currently unemployed, single father of 2 and they had disconnected my service. After having to argue and be accused of 'coming down there' by the rep (which is false), the supervisor had no problem also charging another $40 reconnect fee. Wow! I have also filed with the BBB. God bless us all.

It all started when I moved in August. I had to switch my acct. over to my new place. With my security deposit covering my last bill, I was squared off with this acct. When this company sends me a $500 bill. $322 was a deposit amount they wanted on my acct. They couldn't even give me a call to say, hey, btw we are going to charge you a $322 deposit on your acct that is going to be applied with your monthly bill. What really pisses me off is that here I am calling them trying to find out what is going to be done with my acct. Instead of telling me what they were going to do, they waited 2 MONTHS to charge me and put it all in one! I paid $250 of my $500 bill, thinking since hey, I have a deposit on my acct maybe I can get an extension. **!! We cannot get an extension on our acct. for 6 months. So then WHAT THE ** is the deposit for???

I see I am not the only one that just got hit with a security deposit notice. I have had service with them for over 20 years. Yes, my bill is late but it is always paid and has never been cut off. Now they want a $446 security deposit. I am disabled and only get paid once a month. The only payment arrangement they offered me was 2 payments in one month. If I could do that, then I would just make the one payment. With Obamacare and a healthcare premium increase to $600 per month, it's either no healthcare or no electricity. They say it is to offset where people don't pay their bill, but if your bill is late but gets paid, how is that taking care of people who don't pay their bill?

I have been a Progress Energy customer for 20 plus years and never had a problem with payments being posted on time or getting a payment arrangement to make a payment later. Duke Energy SUCKS, THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT CUSTOMERS, NEITHER DO THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE. THEY JUST DON'T CARE. AND THEY DON'T MIND LETTING YOU KNOW THEY DON'T CARE YOU AND NOT WILLING TO HELP YOU OUT AT ALL!! My bill was due on the 14th, I paid it on the ninth and it wasn't posted until 4 days later. This is not the first time they are guilty of this type of tactic, when you call all you get are excuses and are you finished talking type of treatment. This company should be investigated by local or state government for their unfair practices. I hate this company!!! It was much better customer service and concern about customers!!!!!

I'm 63 yrs old. I'm on a fixed income. I have always paid my bill on time. I only make $730 a month and they want me to pay them $664. I am disabled. I have a truck. The driver's door is falling off, held on by a bungee cord. Can't close the passenger window. The tires are bald and I can't get off budget billing to buy a safer car so I can get around.

I am extremely disappointed with Duke Energy. I just replaced my windows and was told I could get a rebate from Duke. However when I called, I was told that I could not get one because I had already installed the new windows. No one informed me of this key important step and as usual the little guy, the consumer, pays for it. I find this reasoning ridiculous. What difference does it make, the size of the windows did not change with the new windows. You need to re-evaluate your rules. The windows I replaced were originals - the house was built in 1993. I spent over $12k to be more energy conscious and all I get is a slap in the face from Duke Energy. Is this your "consumer service at the finest" .... Typically big company mentality - maximize your profit and squeeze every little bit from the consumer. Bottom line: if you want a rebate from Duke, contact Duke prior to window insulation and be out a rebate (up to $250).

We're cutting back on our monthly expenses so one of the logical things to do is cut the A/C during the cooler weather. We have not used our A/C since the beginning of October and have had to sleep with just the ceiling fans in the room. We normally sleep with the A/C at 77 so the 60's and 50's have been very pleasant. When I received the bill for the month of October, it was an astonishing $174! I called Duke to see why my bill was so high and as soon as I got on the phone with "customer service", I could tell that she was annoyed with me just asking. I explained to her that the previous month, which was $173 was understandable because it was a hot month but that I had not turned on my A/C this month and that I wasn't expecting it to be as high as the bill was.

I am a property manager and we have established "RTO" service. This is when a tenant transfers their power and it will go into the company's name. Just discovered that good old "Duke" is now charging $15.00 for a connection charge regardless of reading the meter at the same time without an additional trip. I recommend buying their stock, because they are squeezing the consumer for every penny.

Since Duke took over for Progress Energy, the customer service is terrible. Plus, my daughter changed service and in less than a month after moving, her final bill was sent directly to Collections agency for $36.00? We never received it? When I questioned them about this, they agreed that this was happening, but are doing nothing to change this procedure. NOT customer friendly at all. Progress Energy, come back!

I had just gotten home from grocery shopping around 4:50 PM. I realized the power had been shut off because I had forgotten to call. Mind you, I just had my second child and just spent over $300 in groceries. I immediately called Duke Energy and paid the ENTIRE past due balance of around $325.00 plus the reconnection fee. Duke REFUSED to turn my power back on that day. By the time I reached a customer service representative, it was 5:15 and because it was after 5 they refused to cut it back on. They even said they could not guarantee a reconnection time except before 5 PM the next day. They said power could be shut off all the way up until 9 pm but would absolutely not turn it back on for my family. The MANAGER even refused to turn it back on!!!!

I am on Social Security and take care of my 3 boys as a single parent. I barely make my rent and my bills. I work part time for a little extra money and the stress from that puts me in the hospital. My bills have always been on time and when it was Progress Electric, it was around $350 to $403, which increased to $450. Last month had a leak in bathroom. Water bill was twice the amount, $221.00. I had trouble making the payment for the electric and called them, they gave me LIHEAP's number, which is impossible to get through. It's always busy...

I found out after almost 2 years I have been paying for a pole light for the property behind me, 2 times I had to call because I wasn't getting a paper bill and that's why I never knew it was on till I finally got a bill! And after all that, I wasn't reimbursed one penny. I paid around $9 a month. To some might not be much but to a single mother of five children, it's a lot!

In August, I had my gas turned off, since I only have gas to heat. I called them for a restart and a contractor came out and told me I have a gas leak somewhere between my shut off valve (no pilot) and the meter and that I would have to get a plumber to check for the leak. In the meantime, I could use my wood burner (which I have not done). When I call, I get the same answer: Duke or the contractor has to take care of that! I have made phone calls to 9 different companies and finally had one come out only to tell me that they can't do anything because there is a lock on the meter. Duke states they should be able to open it and they say Duke has to do that. It is 4:00 on Monday and it was locked on Friday morning and I am 72 years old living in a cold house; thanks to Duke not really caring. I bet if I didn't pay my bill, they would have a way to lock my meter and then unlock it. I am totally at a loss on what I should do.

I read and sympathize with many customers. This company is a monopoly and complaints have fallen on deaf ears in the past. I have complained about surges/low power/outages for 13 years and have received the same story about how "we're working on the problem". Neighbors' power goes back on quickly after an outage while we're out for days, and we lost power when the weather was good. I will be making a case in small claims court this week with documented evidence of our suffering and whether I win or lose, at least I tried!

In response to the customer who states, "A total idiot is what that representative was, a moron who I guess every time he shows up to work, his superiors shove a chip up his ** and program him to say whatever dumb crap that comes out his mouth as an excuse."

I was having trouble paying my bill. I do have a job and work 40+ hours a week. I had set up a payment arrangement with Duke Energy. We then had a family emergency and wasn't able to meet the arrangement we made. I called Duke power and asked them to extend it a few days till I was able to make payment. They told me that they cannot help me and someone was going to be at my house to shut off my power the next day. About 15 minutes later, a truck pulled in to my driveway and they cut my power. I have not been able to reconnect it because they want over $2000 to reconnect it. They are telling me that I have stolen power and tampered with the meter. They cut the line to the house and pulled the meter. I am now living off of generator power. Is there anything I can do??

I called Duke Power and requested to "stretch" this particular bill out for a few months and guess what their response was, "We can't do anything about that until the bill becomes past due." Here's a customer, never late, wanting to do the right thing and they tell me to wait until it's late. You bet I'll wait and see what the next bill looks like too. My son is taking cold showers, living with no heat and air. Landlord was told about the leaky hot water in the bathroom over 3 months ago. Electric bill might be paid, but the rent won't. Got my water bill and apparently the leaky faucet had become more than a drip and my bill there more than tripled too. Leaky faucet "played" on the hot water heater and caused things to go up.

I always pay my bills on time. Then "Duke Energy" decides to change its meter reading date: in between billing cycles. I received a bill for August to be paid in September. Then I received a letter from "Duke" threatening to shut off my power cause they say I did not pay them $76.75 - the difference between the meter reading date change.

I am writing this review not only out of my own aggravating experiences but also I would like to share with all you customers that have been ripped off like me by this company, what I've been told from a Duke employee himself. To begin with, I wondered why this company changed their name from Progress Energy to Duke? Is it that the company progressed from con artists to thieves? Maybe this theory is a fact. Like a lot of other customers, I am also disgusted by this company and no matter what they change their name to, still they displayed their same old tricks. I've been a customer for many years with this company. They couldn't careless if you have been a loyal customer to them.