When considering shopping for other suppliers of electric generation, the question to ask is, "Will I save money?" To determine this, you need to know the price that a supplier must beat in order for you to realize savings. This is known as the price to compare. Information on determining your price to compare is included below. For a list of electric suppliers participating in Duke Energy's Electric Customer Choice Program, visit our electric suppliers' list page or call us at 513-421-9500 (toll free at 1-800-544-6900).

Understanding the Price to Compare

The price to compare is the annual amount that you no longer pay to Duke Energy when you choose another generation provider divided by the kilowatt-hours you consume on a yearly basis. The amount you no longer pay to Duke Energy includes: charges for generation, Transmission Cost Rider (Rider TCR), and the Fuel and Purchased Power Rider (Rider FPP). Additionally, for the first 25% of residential class usage that chooses another generation provider, the amount no longer paid to Duke Energy also includes the Rate Stabilization Charge Rider (Rider RSC) and the Annually Adjusted Component Rider (Rider AAC). A detailed description of these charges is available for your review.

Current switching level of residential class usage is under 25%.

Determining Your Savings

Residential customers can take the following steps to estimate potential annual savings:

• Subtract the supplier's price per kilowatt hour from Duke Energy's price to compare. 
• Multiply the difference by the annual kilowatt hours you use. The result is your annual savings.

Determining the Price to Compare

The following table identifies the average price to compare for typical Duke Energy customers having various levels of annual kilowatt-hour (kWh) usage. Your annual kWh usage appears on your bill under the graph of electric usage and is labeled ‘Total Usage.’

Annual kWh Range	Average Residential Customer with Electric Heating Price to Compare* Rate RS (cents per kWh)	Average Residential Customer with Other Heating Source (e.g., natural gas, propane) Price to Compare* Rate RS (cents per KWh)
0 - 9,999	6.82	6.82
10,000 -14,999	6.65	6.96
15,000 -19,999	6.26	6.75
20,000 -44,999	5.71	6.34
45,000 or more	5.37	5.82

* Your price to compare is based on your kWh usage and may be higher or lower than the amounts shown in the table above. In addition,  Rider FPP will change quarterly and Rider TCR, will change semi-annually. The amounts in this table also include Riders RSC and AAC, which can only be avoided by the first 25% of the residential class usage that switches to alternative suppliers. If you are a residential customer and are billed on a rate other than Rate RS, please call us to obtain your price to compare.

Another option for customers to determine possible savings when considering another generation provider is to provide billing and usage history information to potential suppliers. Residential customers can obtain up to 24 months of billing and usage history by registering with our Online Services or simply use the most recent 12 months of electric usage history that appears at the bottom of your bill.

You can calculate your specific price to compare with our Price To Compare Calculator. Enter your most recent 12 months of electric usage data that appears at the bottom of your Duke Energy bill and then select ‘Calculate.’ The calculation result is the price that a supplier must beat (in cents per kWh) for you to realize savings.