Duke Energy is here to help Florida customers after cold snap
Rhea-AI Summary
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is offering bill-payment help and fraud-prevention guidance for Florida customers after a Feb. 2026 cold snap.
Key points: customers may see higher usage-driven bills, yet residential customers using 1,000 kWh will see a $33 reduction on February bills versus January and an additional $11 drop in March. Nearly 800 scam reports occurred in Feb. 2025; Duke expects a similar uptick and urges reporting and caution.
Assistance includes installment plans, due-date extensions, the Share the Light Fund, payment-finder tools, free home assessments and rebates.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
DUK gained 0.73% with key peers also green: SO +1.5%, AEP +1.8%, NGG +0.24%, D +0.7%, EXC +3.55%, suggesting a broader regulated-utilities bid rather than company-specific trading tied to this customer-assistance release.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 10 | Earnings results | Positive | +1.6% | Fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results and investor presentation. |
| Feb 05 | Reputation award | Positive | +1.0% | Named one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies with improved ranking. |
| Feb 05 | Community investment | Positive | +1.0% | Announced $500,000 in grants to strengthen North Carolina energy workforce pipeline. |
| Feb 02 | Customer conservation | Positive | -1.5% | Thanked Carolinas customers for conserving energy during extreme cold and outlined support tools. |
| Feb 02 | Customer conservation | Positive | -1.5% | Thanked Florida customers for conserving energy during extreme cold and highlighted programs. |
Recent Duke Energy headlines, including earnings and reputational recognitions, generally saw modest positive price alignment, while prior cold-weather customer updates on Feb. 2 coincided with a -1.53% move, indicating occasional divergence on customer-communications news.
Over the last two weeks, Duke Energy reported full-year 2025 results with a +1.58% next-day move, received Fortune recognition as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies, and announced a $500,000 workforce investment in North Carolina, both tied to about +0.98% moves. Customer-focused conservation messages in the Carolinas and Florida on Feb. 2 highlighted reliability and assistance tools but coincided with a -1.53% reaction. Today’s Florida cold-snap support update continues that pattern of customer-assistance communication following extreme weather.
Regulatory & Risk Context
An effective Form S-3ASR dated 2025-09-30 registers up to $4,000,000,000 of PremierNotes, with a maximum net aggregate principal outstanding of $2,000,000,000. The notes are unsecured, floating-rate demand obligations, and a 424B3 filing on 2025-12-22 updated their interest tiers. The shelf remains active through 2028-09-30, providing ongoing registered financing flexibility via these demand notes.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights higher near-term usage from a Florida cold snap while noting bill reductions of $33 in February and $11 in March for typical residential customers. Duke Energy underscores assistance tools, efficiency programs and fraud-prevention guidance, echoing earlier cold-weather communications this month. In context of recent earnings strength and a large registered PremierNotes financing program, investors may watch future weather-driven demand updates, customer bad-debt trends, and regulatory developments in its Florida service territory.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
What to know
- Higher bills ahead: As temperatures plunged, customers' heating systems worked harder, requiring more energy.
- But rates are still going down: Compared to January, residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity will see a
$33 $11 - Scams may spike (again): Nearly 800 scam reports were called into Duke Energy in February 2025, after another cold snap, and the company expects a similar uptick this month.
- Customers are encouraged to slow down and learn to recognize common types of scams.
Get help
- Payment assistance: Customers can request installment plans and due date extensions, use the payment assistance finder and access programs like the Share the Light Fund ®.
- Energy-efficiency solutions: Customers can lower energy usage over time with free home assessments, rebates for improvement projects and a range of other tips and tools.
- Scam reporting: Customers should alert law enforcement, Duke Energy and the Better Business Bureau.
Our view
"Duke Energy has a dedicated team ready to provide our customers with the individualized support they need," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "It's my hope they will come directly to us so we can help them get back on track as quickly as possible and avoid opportunistic, increasingly sophisticated scams."
Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,300 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in
Duke Energy is executing an ambitious energy transition, keeping customer reliability and value at the forefront as it builds a smarter energy future. The company is investing in major electric grid upgrades and cleaner generation, including natural gas, nuclear, renewables and energy storage.
More information is available at duke-energy.com and the Duke Energy News Center. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and visit illumination for stories about the people and innovations powering our energy transition.
Contact: Aly Raschid
24-Hour: 800.559.3853
X: @DE_AlyRaschid
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-is-here-to-help-florida-customers-after-cold-snap-302687780.html
SOURCE Duke Energy
FAQ
Will Florida customers of Duke Energy (DUK) see higher bills after the Feb. 2026 cold snap?
How much will Duke Energy (DUK) residential bills change in Feb. and March 2026 for 1,000 kWh customers?
What bill-payment help is Duke Energy Florida offering after the Feb. 2026 cold snap?
Should Duke Energy (DUK) customers expect more scams after the Feb. 2026 cold snap?
How can Duke Energy (DUK) customers report scams or suspicious contacts in Feb. 2026?
What scale of service and capacity does Duke Energy Florida report while helping customers in Feb. 2026?
