Rate Options & Tariffs North Carolina

Net metering is a special metering and billing agreement between utilities and their customers, which facilitates the connection of small, renewable energy-generating systems to the power grid. Our net metering program encourages small-scale renewable energy systems, ensures that customers always have a reliable source of energy from the grid during times when their renewable generators are not producing energy, and provides substantial benefits to the electric power-generating system, the economy, and the environment.

When a customer chooses net metering, we replace the meter at the customer's home with a bidirectional meter that measures two-way flow of electricity. Net metering customers are charged only for the "net" power that they consume from the electricity service provider that has accumulated over a designated period or, if their renewable energy-generating systems make more electricity than is consumed, they may be credited or paid for the excess electricity contributed to the grid over that same period.

It has been shown that customers with net metering systems tend to be much more aware of their energy consumption, so they usually consume less energy than the average retail customer. Net metering is also a way to increase the energy in the power grid to keep up with increases in demand during peak power-use times.

Customers interested in pursuing a net metering option should view Rider NM (Net Metering) and Rider SCG (Small Customer Generation), as well as information about interconnecting with our grid.

There are sell-all options for hydroelectric generating facilities, as well as plants that are fueled by trash or methane derived from landfills, hog waste, poultry waste, solar, wind, and non-animal forms of biomass.

Learn more by viewing the following riders:

• NC Purchased Power – Hydroelectric
• NC Purchased Power – Non-Hydroelectric

Customers interested in one of the sell-all options should also become familiar with how to interconnect with our grid.

Parallel generation refers to the generation of power directly by consumers – institutions like hospitals, manufacturers or other large organizations – instead of purchasing it from an electric utility. Under our parallel generation program, Duke Energy will provide service to the customer’s net load (total load less customer generation), provide standby service to serve the customer’s total load when the generation is not able to operate, and purchase any excess energy from the customer when the customer’s generation output exceeds the customer’s load.

Find out more about parallel generation by reading Schedule PG (Parallel Generation).