Duke Energy to reimburse Creedmoor residents for damages after Thanksgiving week outages

Duke Energy said Friday it will reimburse Creedmoor customers affected by the power outage that hit the day before Thanksgiving.

Specifically, the utility said it will reimburse residents for damage caused by its equipment issue.

To qualify, customers must fill out Duke Energy’s online claim form. Duke must verify that the person’s home was connected to the lines involved in the Nov. 26 outage. If both conditions are met, Duke said customers should receive reimbursement.

Homeowners told WRAL 5 On Your Side that the sudden loss of power damaged HVAC systems, appliances and cable boxes. It left them with unexpected repair bills.

The news that reimbursement is possible is relieving for people like Lisa Oakley.

"I can relax a little bit. It's big. It's a lot of money," she said. 

Oakley, like many others, is facing thousands of dollars of damage at her gallery in Creedmoor.

"We have this big pile of surge protectors that are messed up. We have some calculators in the gallery that were messed up. I've got five neon signs, some of which I just got back from having repaired. They are out partially or out completely," she said. 

According to Duke Energy, two power lines in the Creedmoor area began sagging and made contact, causing an outage that affected around 2,300 customers for hours.

Friday’s news about the reimbursements comes after 5 On Your Side’s Keely Arthur pressed Duke Energy for answers on how the company planned to make things right.

While Duke Energy hasn’t said what exactly caused the outage beyond sagging power lines, it does not appear to have been weather-related, caused by an animal or triggered by a negligent third party. In those situations, Duke typically isn’t responsible, but in this case, the company says it is.

Creedmoor residents impacted by the outage should submit a claim as soon as possible. Several have told 5 On Your Side they filed days ago but haven’t heard back.

WRAL 5 On Your Side raised that concern with Duke Energy, and the company said customers will receive responses soon.