Duke Energy crews have restored power to over 131,000 customers in the Carolinas following Winter Storm Fern. As of 2 p.m. on Monday, January 26, about 22,000 customers remained without electricity. Most outages caused by the storm are expected to be resolved by the end of Monday, though some areas with more severe damage may not see service restored until Tuesday.
According to Duke Energy’s outage map, North Carolina had 93,609 restorations and 10,554 customers still without power at the time of reporting. South Carolina reported 37,450 restorations and 11,422 remaining outages.
Rick Canavan, Duke Energy’s storm director, said: “Our crews are working to restore most outages tonight. We are seeing isolated areas with more extensive equipment damage along the Blue Ridge escarpment in places like Hendersonville, Travelers Rest and Clemson, so it is possible that some customers in those areas may not have service back until Tuesday.” He added: “I also want to warn customers about a text message scam targeting utility customers. The message mentions outages and includes a link. That message is not from Duke Energy; please avoid clicking on the link.” Canavan thanked customers for their patience and cooperation as restoration efforts continue.
Duke Energy serves about 4.7 million electric customers across North Carolina (3.8 million) and South Carolina (nearly 860,000).
With colder-than-normal temperatures this week likely increasing energy use among those with restored power—leading to potentially higher bills—the company has offered several energy efficiency tips. These include setting thermostats as low as comfortable, checking air filters for efficient system operation, opening blinds during sunny days for natural heating while closing them at night to retain warmth, and running ceiling fans clockwise to push warm air downward. More tips can be found at duke-energy.com/WinterEnergySavings.
Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States and provides electricity to approximately 8.6 million customers across six states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Its gas utilities serve about 1.7 million customers in five states.
The company continues its transition toward cleaner energy sources while investing in grid improvements and maintaining reliability for its customers.
Further information is available at duke-energy.com and through Duke Energy’s news center.
