DUKE POWER OFFERS TIPS FOR MANAGING POWER BILLS

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – During the long, hot summer months of June, July and August, energy use and power bills can increase significantly as customers use more electricity to keep their homes cool. With the official start of summer just days away, Duke Power wants to equip customers with information to help them manage summer electricity consumption.

"We know that customers' electric bills tend to be lower in months where no air conditioning or heating is needed to maintain a home's comfort level," said Tal Owen, general manager of Duke Power billing and payments. "On average, a home's cooling system accounts for approximately half of a customer's total electricity usage. With temperatures expected to be above normal in the Carolinas this summer, customers can expect to see their monthly bill increase approximately $15 - $40," said Owen.

"The base rates Duke Power customers pay for electricity have remained the same since 1986 and are 21% below the national average," said Owen. With the extreme temperatures and humidity, customers may perceive the change in their electric bill as a rate increase when it's really just a change in their energy use.

Duke Power offers several Internet-based tools to assist customers with understanding and managing their electric bill, as well as payment options to allow them to more easily budget for energy use throughout the year.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR ELECTRIC BILL
Duke Power customers with billing questions are encouraged to visit www.dukepower.com to view their electric account. Accessing an account through the Web site requires only an account number and zip code. Once logged onto their account, customers can view a number of items, including a billing history for the past 13 months and comparative weather information for the same billing period last year. This information can be useful in determining how extreme temperature fluctuations can impact electricity usage.

MANAGING YOUR SUMMER ENERGY USAGE
Tips for managing electricity usage are also available on www.dukepower.com on the "For Home" tab. Specifically, customers can access energy-saving information for air conditioning, home insulation and other household tips that can help reduce their usage and their bills. For example, increasing the air conditioner temperature setting by just two degrees can result in a 5% energy savings.

MANAGING YOUR ENERGY COSTS
To help customers manage their monthly energy costs, Duke Power offers a variety of programs, including an Automatic Payment Plan, Equal Payment Plan, Fixed Payment Plan and Third Party Notification. For more information, customers can visit www.dukepower.com, or contact Duke Power by (800) 777-9898. Our customer service specialists are available 24 hours every day.

Duke Power, a business unit of Duke Energy, is one of the nation's largest electric utilities and provides safe, reliable, competitively priced electricity and value-added products and services to more than 2 million customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. The company operates three nuclear generating stations, eight coal-fired stations, 31 hydroelectric stations and numerous combustion turbine units.

Total system generating capability is approximately 19,900 megawatts. More information about Duke Power is available on the Internet at: www.dukepower.com.

Duke Energy is a diversified energy company with a portfolio of natural gas and electric businesses, both regulated and unregulated, which supply, deliver and process energy for customers in North America and selected international markets. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com.