Online Services Frequently Asked Questions

e-Bill

Q. What is Duke Energy Online Services?

A. Duke Energy Online Services is secure, easy to use and puts account access just a few mouse clicks away. Duke Energy Online Services gives you

  • access to easy viewing of billing and payment history
  • a printer friendly version of your bill
  • access to e-Bill.

Q. Who can enroll in Duke Energy Online Services?

A. Anyone with a valid Duke Energy account number and the corresponding last four digits of the account holder’s Social Security number or Federal Tax ID can register for Duke Energy Online Services.

Q. What do I need in order to register for Duke Energy Online Services?

A. To register for Duke Energy Online Services, you’ll need a Duke Energy account number and the corresponding last four digits of the account holder’s Social Security number or Federal Tax ID. Once that information is validated, you’ll be prompted to enter first name, last name, e-mail address, User Name and password. All fields are required. Please review the "Terms and Conditions" that you will need to accept before enrollment can be processed.

Q. Where can I find my account number?

A. Your Duke Energy account number is located in the upper right hand corner of your paper bill.

Q. Why do you need the last four digits of the account holder’s Social Security number?

A. For security purposes, to enroll online requires one piece of information that is on the bill (the account number) and one piece of information that is not on the bill and is unique to the customer (e.g., last four digits of Social Security number/Federal Tax ID).

Q. Why am I getting an error message when I enter the correct account number and last four digits of the account holders Social Security Number?

A. You may receive an error message if we do not have the account holder’s Social Security Number on file. Please call us at the local phone number listed in your telephone directory for assistance.

Q. Do I automatically get signed up for e-Bill if I register with Duke Energy Online Services?

A. No. You are not automatically signed up for e-Bill. Once you enroll in Duke Energy Online Services, you’ll be prompted and asked if you’d like to enroll in e-Bill. You can enroll in Duke Energy Online Services without enrolling in e-Bill.

Q. How secure is the Duke Energy Online Services page?

A. We use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) for secure transmissions whenever we ask for or display information about you or your account. SSL applies encryption between two communicating applications, such as your PC and our corporate Internet server. When your data is transmitted over the Internet, it is encrypted or "scrambled" at the sending end and then decrypted or "unscrambled" at the receiving end. We use 128-bit encryption, because that's the highest level of security available today.

Additionally, our Web site requires that you choose a unique User Name and Password; thereafter, each time you sign on, your identity is confirmed by a series of authenticating steps. After authentication, we use a "cookie" to identify you throughout your session.

Q. Can I change my registration information after I first sign up?

A. Yes, you can change your registration information after first signing up. Your "Profile" is established when you register online. Your profile contains your e-mail address, first name, last name, password and security questions. To edit anything on your profile, click "Profile" from the Duke Energy Online Services Home page.

Q. What if I forget my User Name?

A. If you forget your User Name, select "Forget Your User Name?" in the "Customer Sign In" box. You will be asked to enter your e-mail address. If the e-mail address you enter matches what you entered when you created your User Name, your User Name will be sent automatically to you via e-mail.

Q. What if I forget my password?

A. If you forget your password, select "Forgot Your Password?" in the "Customer Sign In" box. You will be asked to enter your User Name and e-mail address. Then, you will be shown the "secret questions" you entered when you created your User Name. If you successfully answer the secret questions, you will be given the opportunity to create a new password.

Q. What browser should I be using for the Duke Energy Online Services Web site?

A. Duke Energy Online Services website is best viewed on a PC using Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher with a minimum screen setting of 800 x 600, 16 bit color and a 56.6 KBs connection or higher. If you are using an older browser, we suggest downloading to the most recent version.

Q. Can I access more than one account with my User Name?

A. Yes. You can access more than one account with your User Name as long as you have the account number and corresponding last four digits of the Social Security number/Federal Tax ID for that account. You can add that account to your Duke Energy Online Services Home page.

Q. Why do I have to create a User Name and password to access my account?

A. We want your online experience to be as simple and convenient as possible. When you create a User Name, it allows us to ensure that only you (or others that you designate) maintain access to your account information. We also use your User Name to store your account information and preferences in your user profile securely, so your information is always available as soon as you log in.

Q. Who do I contact with technical issues and/or questions about the Web site?

A. Please use our Contact Us web form to send us an e-mail with your observations, comments, and/or technical issues. We welcome your suggestions on how we can improve our service to you!

Q. What if I am already paying electronically at another site?

A. If you are currently paying at another site, you may be able to receive your Duke Energy bill at that site. View a list of over 400 portals that will allow you to receive a bill each month from Duke Energy.

Q. Is the e-Bill service secure?

A. For security and privacy of transactions, enrollment requires a user name and password to log on to the online billing service. We use 128-bit encryption, which is the safest encryption technology available today.

Q. Who can enroll?

A. The online e-Bill service is available for all Duke Energy residential and non-residential accounts.

Customers can enroll to view their bills only or view and pay their bills online. There is no fee for taking advantage of the features available on the Duke Energy website.

Existing customers can enroll anytime. New customers can enroll after receiving their first bill. Once enrolled, the customer will no longer receive a paper bill in the mail.

Note: The following account types are not eligible to enroll: Summary billed, EDI, Nantahala or accounts with a history of returned checks.

Q. Can I sign up for e-Bill if I'm an automatic draft customer?

A. Yes, you can sign up for e-Bill to view your monthly bill and continue to have your payment drafted. Should you also attempt to pay through e-Bill, it will result in double payment.

Q. Will I continue to receive paper bills?

A. No. Once you sign up for the Duke Energy's e-Bill service, you will no longer receive paper bills in the mail. You will receive an e-mail notice each month when your bill is available for viewing.

If you do not receive your e-mail notification this month, please verify the notification is not in your SPAM, JUNK or BULK mail folders. The e-mail notification is sent as a reminder to view your bill. If you do not receive the notification, your bill can still be viewed by using Duke Energy's Online Services application. Please go to www.duke-energy.com.

Q. Why didn’t I receive an e-mail notification this month?

If you do not receive your e-mail notification this month, please verify the notification is not in your SPAM, JUNK or BULK mail folders. The e-mail notification is sent as a reminder to view your bill. If you do not receive the notification, your bill can still be viewed by using Duke Energy's Online Services application. Please go to www.duke-energy.com.

Q. Will I be able to pay immediately after I enroll my account?

A. Your account will be available to pay online after the 24 hours enrollment verification period.

Q. What information do I need to pay my bill online?

A. Before you can pay your bill online, you will need to provide your bank account information for us to debit your payment. When you make your first payment, you will be asked to enter your checking or money market account information. Please enter all the digits of your bank account number including leading zeros.

Q. How do I enroll multiple accounts?

A. Your enrollment is complete after 24 hours. Additional account(s) may be added by selecting My Profile, Service Accounts, and Add in the enrollment process. Enrollment for additional accounts will be completed in 24 hours.

Q. How long does it take for my payment to transfer to Duke Energy?

A. It can take up to five business days for your payment to be credited to your Duke Energy account.

Q. What are my options for payment once I've signed up for e-Bill?

Online
e-Bill allows you to conveniently pay your bill online directly from your checking account or money market account only. You will be asked for banking account information for each account you enroll. You can schedule single payments up to a year in advance and can also set up repeating payments. Credit cards or saving accounts cannot be used to pay bills online.

Mail
Paying your bills by mail remains an option but is not recommended after you sign up for e-Bill. This could delay your payment posting.

Bank Draft
You can receive your bill online and continue to use the automatic draft from your account.

Credit Cards
To continue to offer our e-Bill service at a no-cost option to our customers, we are not able to accept credit card payments at this time. Our customers can receive their bill electronically and pay using Speedpay (a vendor that process credit card payments). To pay by credit card, you must call Customer Service. There is a 2.8% surcharge for the Speedpay option.

Q. What about late payments and extended due dates?

A. If you are unable to pay your bill on time, please call your local Duke Energy telephone number as listed in your telephone directory. The same late payment charges and extended due date policies apply to e-Bill as they do to mailed bills.

To talk to a customer service representative, please call 1-800-777-9898.

If you're calling for: Press:
Billing, payments or payment arrangements 1
Outages and repairs 2
Start, stop or transfer service 3
Construction 4
Spanish assistance 5

Q. How will I view my bill details and bill inserts?

A. When you receive your e-Bill statement, you will see links to view or print your bill details and inserts. You may also visit the Residential Area of the website to access these options at any time.

Q. May I use my credit card to pay my bill?

A. To continue to offer our e-Bill service as a no-cost option to our customers, we are not able to accept credit card payments. Our customers can receive their bill electronically and pay using Speedpay (a vendor that processes credit card payments) by calling our Customer Contact Center. There is a 2.8% surcharge when using the Speedpay option.

Q. How do I un-enroll from e-Bill?

A. You can cancel enrollment by clicking on "My Profile," "Service Account," and "Deactivate." Deactivation will be complete after 24 hours. Once un-enrolled from our e-Bill program, you will automatically revert to receiving your paper bill in the mail.

Q. What browser should I be using for best viewing and use of Duke Energy e-Bill?

A. Duke Energy's e-Bill website is best viewed on a PC using Internet Explorer 5.5 or later with a minimum screen setting of 800 x 600, 16 bit color and a 56.6 KBs connection or higher. If you are using an older browser, we suggest downloading to the most recent version. 

Q. How do I check the status of my payment?

A. To check the status of your payment, click on "Payment Activity." You'll see a list all of your previous and currently scheduled payments. Each will have a status:

Scheduled
You can change the date or cancel the payment.

Processed
Your financial institution has debited your account for this amount and the payment cannot be changed or cancelled.

Q. I am now enrolled in e-Bill and have not received my first bill electronically. Can I pay my current bill online?

A. Yes, an e-Bill payment can be made before receiving the first bill following enrollment. Please follow the instructions listed below:

  1. Click on "Payment Activity."
  2. Click on "Make Payment."
  3. Enter Banking Information and click "Continue."
  4. Confirm Banking Information and click "Add."
  5. Confirmation given: "Add Payment Account Completed" - "Click Continue."
  6. Enter "Amount and Payment Date." Payment date must be two business days from today's date.
  7. Click "Add" once payment confirmation is requested.
  8. You will receive confirmation "Add Payment Completed."
  9. Click on Payment Activity to view scheduled payment.

Q. What should I do if I transfer my service to another location?

A. Your new account is not automatically enrolled once you transfer your service. You will need to enroll the new account by clicking on "My Profile" and "Service Accounts." Please enter your new account information and click "Add."

Q. How do I delete repeating payments?

A. Please click on "Repeating Payments" from the Payment Activity tab to cancel all repeating payments.

Note: When scheduling a repeating payment, the payment dated with the initial date that you entered for the repeating payments to begin is not deleted. Please go to Payment Activity and delete the initial payment.