DUKE POWER HOME REPAIR PLANS HELP TAKE THE WORRY OUT OF HOME OWNERSHIP

CHARLOTTE – Duke Power now offers its customers three home repair plans that can help take the worry out of home ownership and unexpected repair costs for their water heater, electric wiring and internal water lines.  

“Homeowners have told us that they want to simplify their lives and we think these repair plans provide great worry-free options for our customers who want to remove the potential for costly home repair bills,” said Angi Clinton, Duke Power’s vice president for residential and small business customers. “These plans take the hassle out of home repairs by enabling customers to call one phone number and be assured that problems with their home’s electric or gas water heater, electric wiring or internal water lines will be fixed by highly qualified, licensed service technicians, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

Duke Power began offering the plans in certain areas in June 2003 and has already signed up more than 8,000 customers to one or more of the home repair plans.

Emergency repair plan calls are responded to within four hours. The repair plans have no service charge or deductible. Customers are billed for the repair plans via their monthly power bill. 

The following details the charges related to three repair plans.  

• Water Heater Repair/Replacement Plan -- $3.95 a month.
• Home Wiring Repair Plan -- $4.95 a month.
• Water Line Repair Option -- $2.00 a month.  (Water line repair coverage is for the water lines within the home, plumbing fixtures are not included. This plan is only available when either the water heater plan or wiring plan is purchased).

The program is available to all Duke Power customers in South Carolina and customers in North Carolina who live in the following counties:   Alamance, Cleveland, Davidson, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Henderson, Mecklenburg, Polk, Randolph, Rutherford, Transylvania and Union. It is expected to be available to all Duke Power customers by late 2005. 

Duke Power customers can learn more about the home repair plans and sign up by calling 1-800/943-7585 (toll free).

The home repair plans cover only repair and replacement of the covered items to the extent due to normal wear and tear beginning 31 days after the enrollment date and while the coverage is effective. Full terms and conditions are available on the “For Home” section on www.dukepower.com. 

Duke Power, a business unit of Duke Energy, is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities and provides safe, reliable, competitively priced electricity and value-added products and services to more than 2 million customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. In 2004, Duke Power celebrates 100 years of service. The company operates three nuclear generating stations, eight coal-fired stations, 31 hydroelectric stations and numerous combustion turbine units. Total system generating capability is approximately 19,900 megawatts. More information about Duke Power is available on the Internet at: http://www.dukepower.com.

Duke Energy is a diversified energy company with a portfolio of natural gas and electric businesses, both regulated and unregulated, and an affiliated real estate company. Duke Energy supplies, delivers and processes energy for customers in North America and selected international markets. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: http://www.duke-energy.com.

Contact:	Paige Layane
Phone:	704/594-0369
24-Hour Phone:	704/382-8333
e-mail:	pclayne@duke-energy.com