Duke Energy's old net metering ends Dec. 31: what changes
Short answer: Duke Energy's original residential net metering rider in North Carolina ends for existing customers on December 31, 2026. Under the tariffs Duke filed with the North Carolina Utilities Commission, those homes move to the Net Metering Bridge rider (or another rider in effect) by January 1, 2027. The Bridge rider adds a minimum bill and a non-bypassable charge, and pays a much lower credit for extra power left over each month.
That's about 12 weeks away.
If you're listing, buying or already own a solar home in Duke territory, the savings number you were quoted may have been built on the old rules. Here's what the filings say.
Who is affected?
Residential Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress customers still on the original net metering rider (called Rider NM at Duke Energy Carolinas and Rider NM-5 at Duke Energy Progress). It closed to new customers on September 30, 2023. Homes that applied before July 1, 2023 could stay on it through December 31, 2026.
The North Carolina Public Staff, the state's consumer advocate for utility customers, says existing net metering customers “will be eligible to continue taking service under Rider NM until December 31, 2026,” and then will be automatically moved to the Bridge rider.
Think older systems around Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro and Asheville.
Not on Duke? North Carolina's electric co-ops and municipal utilities have their own rules. This change is a Duke change. Our North Carolina solar rules page has the wider picture.
What actually changes on the bill?
Three things stand out in the Bridge rider filings.
A minimum bill. Both Duke utilities filed a $22 monthly minimum on the customer and distribution part of the bill. Under the old rider, a big system could push some bills very low. That floor now exists.
A non-bypassable charge. It's billed per kilowatt of system nameplate size each month. Solar production can't erase it.
A lower credit for leftover power. Energy you send to the grid beyond what you use in a month is credited at Duke's Net Excess Energy Credit rate. The Public Staff explains that rate is based on the utility's avoided cost. Retail power costs a lot more.
| Bridge rider (2023 filing) | Duke Energy Carolinas | Duke Energy Progress |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly minimum bill | $22 | $22 |
| Non-bypassable charge | $0.28 per kW | $0.62 per kW |
| Net excess energy credit | 3.35¢ per kWh | 3.40¢ per kWh |
So the old deal treated your extra power almost like cash at the retail price. The new one pays a few cents for whatever's left at month's end.
Rates get updated. Check the current rider sheets on Duke's site or the Commission's docket before leaning on any single number.
How long does the Bridge rate last?
Here's a detail most people miss.
The filings say the Bridge period runs “up to 15 calendar years from the submission date of the applicable interconnection application.” The clock starts on the application date. Not the day you bought the house.
A system that applied for interconnection in 2016 started its clock in 2016. After the Bridge period, the home moves to Residential Solar Choice or whatever rider exists then. Residential Solar Choice requires a time-of-use rate with critical peak pricing, where power costs more at certain hours.
Ask Duke for the interconnection application date on any home you're buying. That one date tells you how many years the Bridge rate can run.
Does this change the value of a solar home?
It can. A solar contract keeps charging the same monthly payment no matter what the utility does.
Picture a 20-year lease signed in 2018 at $140 a month with a 2.9% yearly escalator. The sales sheet promised savings based on full retail net metering. Starting in January, those savings assumptions are out of date. The lease payment doesn't care.
Nothing about the contract changes. The math around it does.
For sellers, that comes up when a buyer's lender, agent or inspector asks what the system saves. Savings numbers from the original sale may now overstate it.
For buyers taking over a lease or PPA, it's the whole question. You're agreeing to years of payments. Compare those payments against real bills under the rate that applies from here on, not the rate from 2019. Our post on how net metering changed covers the same shift in other states.
What can buyers and sellers check before closing?
A short list. All of it is available without guessing.
- Which Duke utility serves the home. Carolinas or Progress. Charges differ.
- The current rider. Is the account on the original net metering rider today, and what will it be on January 1?
- The interconnection application date. It sets the end of the Bridge period.
- The last 12 months of power bills. Look at the grid charges, the minimum bill and any exported energy.
- The solar contract itself. Monthly payment, escalator, years left, transfer terms and any buyout or prepay option.
- Production records. Monitoring app history, or the system's lifetime kWh. A system producing less than promised loses more under lower export credits.
If the home is under contract now and closes after New Year's, the buyer lives with the new rules from day one. Worth knowing before the inspection period ends. Have the solar contract reviewed before closing, and work with an experienced local agent who has handled solar transfers. Our post on selling a home with leased solar walks through the transfer side.
How does RateMySolar help?
We read the existing solar contract on a home and grade it in five areas: contract terms, price, production, rate protection and payment, and lifetime value. Each gets a letter and a plain explanation. How we grade describes what each one looks at.
You can add the home's power bills, so the report reflects real usage instead of a sales-sheet estimate. With North Carolina's rules changing, that matters more than usual.
Your first upload is free to preview. The full graded report, with the MLS listing fields and remarks, is $49.99. RateMySolar is not a law firm, and reports are information, not legal or financial advice. For what a contract term means for you legally, talk to a licensed real estate attorney.
Frequently asked questions
When does Duke Energy's legacy net metering end in North Carolina?
For residential customers on the original net metering rider (Rider NM at Duke Energy Carolinas, Rider NM-5 at Duke Energy Progress), service ends December 31, 2026. Duke's compliance filings say those customers move to the Net Metering Bridge rider, or another net metering rider in effect, by January 1, 2027, and the North Carolina Public Staff says the move is automatic.
What is the Duke Energy Net Metering Bridge rate?
A transition rider that does not require time-of-use pricing. It adds a $22 monthly minimum bill on the customer and distribution part of the bill, a non-bypassable charge per kW of system size, and credits leftover monthly exports at Duke's Net Excess Energy Credit rate, which is based on avoided cost.
How long can a home stay on the Bridge rate?
Up to 15 calendar years from the date the system's interconnection application was submitted. After that, the account moves to Residential Solar Choice or another net metering rider in effect at that time.
Does a new owner change anything about the solar lease or PPA payment?
No. The contract payment and escalator stay as written. Only the electric bill side changes, which is why savings estimates from the original sale may be out of date.
Does this apply to North Carolina co-op customers?
No. This change applies to Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress. Electric co-ops and municipal utilities set their own net metering rules.
Is RateMySolar free?
Your first upload is free to preview, and the MLS listing fields and remarks come with the full report. The full graded report is $49.99.