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Duke Energy Peak Hours: 6–9 PM Summer
Duke Energy's on-peak hours in North Carolina are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays from May to September, and 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on weekdays from October to April, on its residential time-of-use plans. The cheapest "discount" hours are 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. in summer, and 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. plus 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in winter, every day.
Checked by hand against Duke Energy: North Carolina residential rates on . Duke Energy's page shows no effective date for these prices. Utilities change these rates, so check your bill or Duke Energy before you plan around them.
Duke Energy peak hours, hour by hour
Plan: Residential Time of Use (R-TOU). Optional. The same hours apply to Duke's residential time-of-use, time-of-use demand, and critical peak (Flex Savings Option) plans.
On-peakOff-peakDiscount
| Hour | Summer weekdays May–September | Summer weekends and holidays May–September | Winter weekdays October–April | Winter weekends and holidays October–April |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| midnight–1 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 1 a.m.–2 a.m. | Discount | Discount | Discount | Discount |
| 2 a.m.–3 a.m. | Discount | Discount | Discount | Discount |
| 3 a.m.–4 a.m. | Discount | Discount | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 4 a.m.–5 a.m. | Discount | Discount | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 5 a.m.–6 a.m. | Discount | Discount | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 6 a.m.–7 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | On-peak | Off-peak |
| 7 a.m.–8 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | On-peak | Off-peak |
| 8 a.m.–9 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | On-peak | Off-peak |
| 9 a.m.–10 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 10 a.m.–11 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 11 a.m.–noon | Off-peak | Off-peak | Discount | Discount |
| noon–1 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | Discount | Discount |
| 1 p.m.–2 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | Discount | Discount |
| 2 p.m.–3 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | Discount | Discount |
| 3 p.m.–4 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | Discount | Discount |
| 4 p.m.–5 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 5 p.m.–6 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | On-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 7 p.m.–8 p.m. | On-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 8 p.m.–9 p.m. | On-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 9 p.m.–10 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 10 p.m.–11 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 11 p.m.–midnight | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak | Off-peak |
On-peak hours apply Monday to Friday, excluding holidays; discount hours apply every day, holidays included.
Duke Energy time-of-use prices
| Season | Period | Weekday hours | Weekends and holidays | Price per kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer May–September | On-peak | 6 p.m.–9 p.m. | — | not published |
| Summer May–September | Off-peak | 9 p.m.–1 a.m. and 6 a.m.–6 p.m. | 6 a.m.–1 a.m. | not published |
| Summer May–September | Discount | 1 a.m.–6 a.m. | 1 a.m.–6 a.m. | not published |
| Winter October–April | On-peak | 6 a.m.–9 a.m. | — | not published |
| Winter October–April | Off-peak | 4 p.m.–1 a.m., 3 a.m.–6 a.m. and 9 a.m.–11 a.m. | 4 p.m.–1 a.m. and 3 a.m.–11 a.m. | not published |
| Winter October–April | Discount | 1 a.m.–3 a.m. and 11 a.m.–4 p.m. | 1 a.m.–3 a.m. and 11 a.m.–4 p.m. | not published |
Duke's announcement of these hours does not list prices per kWh, and we could not read its rate schedules directly, so we show hours only. Duke says discount-hour energy costs 30% less than its standard off-peak price.
Duke Energy Progress uses the same hours for its time-of-use plans in South Carolina.
Other Duke Energy plans
- Flex Savings Option (R-TOU-CPP): Same on-peak and discount hours, plus a higher critical peak price on a limited number of event days.
- Time of Use with demand charge (R-TOUD): Same hours, plus a charge on your highest on-peak demand.
How Duke Energy prices compare with the North Carolina average
The average home in North Carolina paid 14.95¢ per kWh in the latest month of EIA data, all charges included and averaged over every hour of the day. See North Carolina's month-by-month price history.
EIA data for , updated · Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
Duke Energy Carolinas rates and average bill · All North Carolina utilities · Average electric bill in North Carolina
Questions about Duke Energy peak hours
What are Duke Energy peak hours?
Duke Energy's on-peak hours in North Carolina are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays from May to September, and 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on weekdays from October to April, on its residential time-of-use plans. The cheapest "discount" hours are 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. in summer, and 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. plus 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in winter, every day.
Are weekends off-peak with Duke Energy?
Yes. On Duke Energy's residential time-of-use plans, weekends and holidays have no peak hours. On-peak hours apply Monday to Friday, excluding holidays; discount hours apply every day, holidays included.
What is the cheapest time to use electricity with Duke Energy?
The discount hours: 1 a.m.–6 a.m. (summer, May–September); 1 a.m.–3 a.m. and 11 a.m.–4 p.m. (winter, October–April). Duke's announcement of these hours does not list prices per kWh, and we could not read its rate schedules directly, so we show hours only. Duke says discount-hour energy costs 30% less than its standard off-peak price.
Do Duke Energy peak hours change with the seasons?
Yes. Peak hours are 6 p.m.–9 p.m. weekdays in summer (May–September); 6 a.m.–9 a.m. weekdays in winter (October–April).
Sources
We read Duke Energy's own rate pages and tariffs on Nov 11, 2026 and copied the hours and prices by hand. These are the published prices for one plan, not a quote; your bill also depends on taxes, riders and how much you use. How we work.
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