# Duke Energy Net Metering NC: What Changes Jan. 1, 2027

> Duke Energy net metering in NC: older solar customers move to the Bridge rate after 2026, for 15 years counted from their original application, not from 2027.

- URL: https://solarexaminer.com/posts/duke-energy-net-metering-nc-2027/
- Site: Solar Examiner (https://solarexaminer.com/)
- Category: News
- Published: 2026-10-29
- Last verified: 2026-10-29
- Author: Craig Leslie

## Key takeaways

- Duke Energy solar customers in North Carolina who are still on the original net metering rider (Rider NM) can stay on it through Dec. 31, 2026. The NC Public Staff says they will then be moved automatically to the Net Metering Bridge rider (Rider NMB).
- Under the 2023 commission order, those customers can instead choose the time-of-use solar rate in effect at the time.
- Bridge rate customers can stay on it for 15 calendar years counted from when they first applied to interconnect, not from 2027. Older systems therefore get fewer Bridge years.
- On the Bridge rate, monthly excess solar is credited at Duke's avoided-cost rate, not the retail rate. The order also applies a monthly minimum bill and non-bypassable charges.
- New applicants can join the Bridge rate only through Dec. 31, 2026, and only while yearly capacity caps last. Caps may already be full for 2026. Once the Bridge is closed or full, new solar customers take Residential Solar Choice, which requires time-of-use pricing with critical peak pricing.



**Duke Energy solar customers in North Carolina who are still on the original net metering rider will be moved to the Net Metering Bridge rider after December 31, 2026, according to the state's Public Staff.** The Bridge rate nets your use and exports each month and credits any monthly surplus at Duke's avoided-cost rate, not the retail rate, and it adds a minimum bill. The biggest surprise for many owners is the clock: Bridge time is counted from when you first applied to connect your system, not from 2027.

This covers Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) and Duke Energy Progress (DEP). The same customers face proposed base rate increases on January 1, 2027, which we track in [our guide to Duke's North Carolina rate cases](/posts/north-carolina-electricity-rate-changes-2026/). Higher retail rates raise the value of solar you use yourself, while exported power earns less under the newer riders.

## What the 2023 Order Set Up

The North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) issued its *Order Approving Revised Net Metering Tariffs* on March 23, 2023, in Docket E-100, Sub 180. The North Carolina Court of Appeals "modified and affirmed" that order on September 17, 2024 (No. COA23-760).

The order created three paths for Duke residential solar customers:

| Rider | Who it's for | How exports are credited | Time-of-use required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net Metering (Rider NM), the original rider | Customers who joined before it closed on Sept. 30, 2023 | Netting under the original rider | No |
| Net Metering Bridge (Rider NMB) | Applicants from Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2026, within yearly caps; also the default for Rider NM customers after 2026 | Monthly netting; monthly excess at avoided cost | No |
| Residential Solar Choice (Rider RSC) | New solar customers once the Bridge is closed or full | Monthly net exports credited at avoided cost | Yes, time-of-use with critical peak pricing |

Sources: NCUC order (March 23, 2023) and NC Public Staff net metering page, checked Oct. 29, 2026.

## What Happens to Original Net Metering Customers

The order's description of the settlement Duke reached with solar installers says current net metering customers "may remain on their current rate until January 1, 2027." At that point they move to the Bridge rate or choose the time-of-use net metering rate then in effect.

The NC Public Staff, which represents consumers before the commission, describes the same transition. It says Rider NM customers can stay "until December 31, 2026, at which point they will be automatically transitioned to Rider NMB."

So if you do nothing, you land on the Bridge rider. Choosing the time-of-use solar rate instead is an option, not a requirement.

## Your Bridge Clock Started When You Applied

This is the detail most likely to catch owners of older systems off guard. The order describes the Bridge term this way: customers can stay "for 15 calendar years" counted from "the date on which the customer first submitted an interconnection application," less any years spent on an alternative net metering rate before January 1, 2027. After that, the customer moves to the time-of-use net metering rate in effect at the time.

By our reading of that formula, here is how it plays out for customers who spent no time on an alternative rate:

| First interconnection application | 15 years reached |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 2027 |
| 2016 | 2031 |
| 2020 | 2035 |

These end dates are our arithmetic, not dates Duke has published, and the exact day depends on your application date. Ask Duke to confirm yours. The order does not mention a guaranteed minimum term. It records a witness's view that customers who installed solar in 2011 or earlier "may receive no benefit from the Proposed Bridge Rate at all." That was testimony, not a commission finding.

## How the Bridge Rate Works

From the order's description of the Bridge rate:

- **Netting:** it "includes monthly netting at the applicable avoided cost rate." By our reading, solar you use in a month offsets your purchases that month. Any surplus left at month's end is credited at Duke's avoided-cost rate (the Net Excess Energy Credit), which is typically lower than the retail rate. Check Duke's current credit rate.
- **Minimum bill and other charges:** it carries "the same MMB and non-bypassable charge that are included within the NEM tariffs." MMB is the monthly minimum bill.
- **No time-of-use requirement:** unlike Residential Solar Choice, the Bridge rate does not require a time-of-use schedule and has no grid access fee.
- **Caps:** new enrollment is limited by yearly capacity caps, awarded first come, first served.

The order describes the minimum bill as initially proposed at $22 a month for DEC and $28 for DEP. It describes the non-bypassable charges as $0.36 per kW a month for DEC and $0.44 for DEP. Duke's current rider sheets could not be opened for this article, so confirm today's amounts with Duke before using them.

## What It Means for Your Bill

The change matters most for homes that export a lot of solar in some months. Solar you use yourself still offsets purchases at the retail rate, though the minimum bill sets a floor. If your system produces large monthly surpluses in spring and summer, those surpluses will be credited at avoided cost instead of building up retail-value credits.

A few practical points:

1. **Shift use into sunny hours.** Every kWh you use when the panels are producing avoids the full retail rate, while monthly surplus is credited at the lower avoided-cost rate. Our guide to [how unused solar credits are handled](/posts/net-metering-true-up/) explains why timing matters more under monthly netting.
2. **Consider a battery only if the numbers work.** Storing midday surplus for evening use can recover some value lost to avoided-cost credits. Size it first with our guide to [sizing a home battery](/posts/how-to-size-a-home-battery/).
3. **Watch the minimum bill.** On months with high solar output, the minimum bill and fixed charges may be most of what you pay. Solar cannot reduce those.

## If You Are Thinking About Going Solar Now

The Bridge rate is open to new applicants only through December 31, 2026, and only while caps last. The 2026 caps may already be full, so check with Duke before counting on it. According to the Public Staff, once a cap is reached, new customers must take Rider RSC. That rider requires a time-of-use rate with critical peak pricing, a minimum monthly bill and non-bypassable charges, and it credits net exports at avoided cost each month.

Because the Bridge term would run 15 years from a 2026 application, a new customer who gets in would keep it until about 2041. Do not let a deadline rush a contract, though. Get the installer to model your savings under both riders, and read our guide to [comparing solar quotes](/posts/how-to-compare-solar-quotes/).

## Sources and verification

| Important claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Order issued March 23, 2023, Docket E-100, Sub 180; Rider NM closed Sept. 30, 2023; automatic move to Rider NMB after Dec. 31, 2026; RSC requires TOU-CPP and credits net exports at avoided cost; caps then RSC | [NC Public Staff, Net Metering](https://publicstaff.nc.gov/electric/net-metering) | Verified |
| Existing customers may remain until Jan. 1, 2027, then Bridge or TOU rate; 15-year term from first interconnection application; monthly netting at avoided cost; same MMB and non-bypassable charge; $22/$28 MMB and $0.36/$0.44 per kW as proposed | [NCUC Order Approving Revised Net Metering Tariffs](https://starw1.ncuc.gov/NCUC/ViewFile.aspx?Id=1452268d-1905-4d1e-a5c8-a9e84351e53a) | Verified (current tariff amounts not checked) |
| Order modified and affirmed on appeal, Sept. 17, 2024 | [N.C. Court of Appeals, No. COA23-760](https://ncwarn.org/wp-content/uploads/NEMAppealDecision9-17-24.pdf) | Verified |
| Bridge end-year examples | Our calculation from the order's formula | Qualified (Duke has not published per-customer dates) |

## Limitations

We could not open Duke Energy's current rider sheets (Rider NM, NMB and RSC) or its avoided-cost credit rates, so dollar amounts for the minimum bill and non-bypassable charges come from the commission's 2023 order and may have changed. We did not find a Duke customer notice describing the January 2027 transition. Bridge end dates are our arithmetic. This article will be updated if Duke or the commission publishes transition details.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Duke Energy ending net metering in North Carolina?

Not entirely. The original net metering rider ends for existing customers after Dec. 31, 2026. Solar customers still have net metering, but under newer riders: the Net Metering Bridge rider or Residential Solar Choice. On both, monthly excess solar is credited at Duke's avoided-cost rate rather than the full retail rate.

### Do I have to do anything before Jan. 1, 2027?

The NC Public Staff says customers on the original rider will be moved to the Bridge rider automatically. You do not have to act to keep service. If you would rather take a time-of-use solar rate, or want to know your Bridge end date, contact Duke before the switch.

### How long can I stay on the Bridge rate?

Fifteen calendar years from the date you first submitted your interconnection application, minus any years you spent on an alternative net metering rate before Jan. 1, 2027. A customer who applied in 2016 would reach 15 years in 2031 under that formula. Ask Duke to confirm your date.

### Can a new solar customer still get the Bridge rate?

Only by applying by Dec. 31, 2026, and only if the yearly capacity cap for your utility has not been reached. Once the cap is reached, the Public Staff says new customers take Residential Solar Choice.

### Does this apply to Dominion Energy or co-op customers?

No. The 2023 order covers Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress. Dominion Energy North Carolina, electric cooperatives and city utilities have their own rules.


Image credit: Photo by VD Photography on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/an-aerial-view-of-a-house-with-a-solar-panel-on-the-roof-9KCRGQySNiw?utm_source=solarexaminer&utm_medium=referral)