Duke Energy Florida in 2026: rates, minimum charge and net metering

Duke Energy Florida is the utility for much of Central Florida: Davenport, Haines City, Poinciana, Clermont, and the Orlando and Kissimmee suburbs. If your bill says Duke, your home can qualify for the solar energy subscription. In 2026 Duke cut the typical bill by about $50, keeps a $30 minimum charge, and credits net metering 1-to-1.

Who does Duke Energy serve in Central Florida?

Duke serves about 2 million customers in 35 Florida counties, according to its own releases. In Central Florida that includes much of Polk, Osceola and Lake, plus suburbs in Orange and Seminole. It is the utility for Davenport and Haines City, for Poinciana in both of its counties, and for most of Clermont. In Orlando and Kissimmee it serves the areas outside OUC and KUA.

The fastest way to know is the logo on your bill. In Orange and Osceola there are streets where one side is Duke and the other is municipal. The rules change completely across the street, and so does whether you qualify for the subscription.

Does Duke qualify for the solar energy subscription?

Yes. The subscription accepts Duke Energy, FPL and TECO customers. Municipal utilities (OUC, KUA, Lakeland Electric) and co-ops do not qualify. With Duke, the rest of the requirements are about the home:

If you qualify, you replace your bill with one at least 30% lower, guaranteed in writing, and you choose how long you want to be saving: 3 or 5 years. The 30% is calculated on the total, including Duke’s minimum charge. Details in how the solar subscription works.

How much does Duke charge per kWh in 2026?

Duke does not publish its residential rate breakdown on a single page, and its rates changed three times in 2026. This is what its official releases do document:

From real user bills, EnergySage reports an average of 17¢/kWh in Orlando in 2026, taxes included and utilities mixed. The number that matters is yours: divide your bill total by your kWh. Where each line is: how to read your Duke Energy bill.

Heads up: a proposal made in January or February 2026 used Duke rates that no longer exist. If it showed “you save $X a month” on that basis, your real savings today are lower. Ask for it to be redone with a summer 2026 bill.

What is Duke’s $30 minimum charge?

Duke charges a minimum of $30 a month for usage (it calls it the minimum bill) and confirms on its page that it will keep charging it. It mainly affects people who buy very little from the grid, meaning homes with solar. From 2025 to 2027 there is an adjustment for low-income customers, but only if they are not on net metering.

In practice, in a month when the sun covered everything, your Duke bill does not drop below $30 plus taxes and fees. That is why we will never promise you a $0 bill. In the subscription, that charge is already inside the 30% calculation. More in the utility minimum charge explained.

How does net metering work with Duke?

Duke credits 1-to-1: each kWh you send to the grid is worth the same as one you buy. Net metering is that offset through a bidirectional meter. The rules come from Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065, which applies equally to Duke, FPL and TECO:

• Monthly credit: one month’s surplus is credited against the next month’s usage.
• Annual true-up: at the end of the calendar year, Duke pays unused credits at a rate based on its COG-1, its avoided energy cost.
• Tiers: Tier 1 up to 10 kW, Tier 2 up to 100 kW, Tier 3 up to 2 MW.
• Fees and insurance: Tier 1 no fee or insurance; Tier 2 $240 fee and $1 million policy; Tier 3 $750 and $2 million.
• Capacity: the system cannot exceed 90% of the transformer or service capacity.

In the subscription, the installation team handles interconnection and permits. If you buy, that paperwork is yours or your seller’s. The full mechanics are in net metering in Florida.

Does Duke have a time-of-use rate?

Yes, the RST-1 is optional. Peaks run 6 to 9 PM and 5 to 10 AM Monday through Friday. Those peaks fall when the sun produces little or nothing. For most homes with solar it does not improve the result. Decide with hourly data.

How do I download my Duke bill?

Go to duke-energy.com or the app, register your account, and turn on Paperless Billing. You get a monthly PDF and up to 24 months of history. To check whether you qualify and how much you save, we need your last 12 months; the usage chart on the bill also works. Start with the diagnosis.

When solar with Duke does NOT make sense

• Your bill is low: the $30 minimum charge plus taxes leaves little to save.
• Your roof is tile or metal: the subscription does not apply, and if you buy, check the roof first.
• You are on the municipal side of the street (OUC, KUA): the rules are different and the subscription does not apply.
• Someone offers to sell you a system “big enough to have extra”: with Duke, December surplus is worth pennies.
• You have a very high bill, an ideal roof and capital: buying can save more over 25 years. We will tell you so.

What to check before deciding

• The logo on your bill: Duke or municipal.
• That any proposal uses a 2026 bill from after March.
• Your real cost per kWh: bill total ÷ kWh.
• That projected savings subtract the $30 minimum charge and taxes.
• If you qualify for the subscription, compare it against buying with the same 12 months.