Duke Energy customers in Durham: text OUT to 57801 or call the number on your bill. Piedmont EMC members: 800-222-3107. Outage maps inside.

Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Facts on this page come from Duke Energy, Piedmont EMC and the City of Durham.

Electricity in Durham comes from Duke Energy or, in parts of the county, a cooperative. Duke runs two utilities in North Carolina, Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress, with different outage numbers; the company named on your bill is the one to call. Members of Piedmont Electric Membership Corp., the cooperative, call its own line. Duke says it does not always know your power is out, so report it.

Who to call

  • Duke Energy, any customer: text OUT to 57801, or report at duke-energy.com/outages
  • Duke Energy Carolinas: 800-769-3766
  • Duke Energy Progress: 800-419-6356
  • Piedmont EMC: 800-222-3107 (call or text)
  • Downed line, fire or someone hurt: 911
  • City water problems after hours: 919-560-4344

Outage maps

Reporting an outage

Duke Energy customers can text, call or report online; the restoration-time numbers are on Duke’s restoring your power page. Duke says speaking to a representative will not speed up restoration, so the text and online reports work as well as a call.

Piedmont EMC members can report an outage by calling 800-222-3107 and following the voice prompts; by texting “pemc” to 800-222-3107 to opt in, then “#out” to report and “#status” for updates; or through the SmartHub app or website under “Report an issue/inquiry.” Piedmont EMC is based in Hillsborough and serves members in parts of Alamance, Caswell, Durham, Granville, Orange and Person counties, according to the state’s co-op magazine, Carolina Country.

How Duke restores power

From Duke’s outage page:

  1. Customers who provide essential services, such as hospitals, police stations and fire departments, come first.
  2. Then crews fix the damage that returns power to the most customers in the least time.
  3. After big storms, crews often survey an area before repairing it, and may leave to fix a line elsewhere that feeds your street.

Your neighbor may have power while you do not: the damage may be on your individual circuit, or your home may be on a different line.

Staying safe

Duke’s safety advice:

  • Assume every downed line is energized. Stay away and report it right away.
  • Generators go outside. Plug appliances into the generator; never wire it into your breaker box, which can send electricity back up the line toward crews.
  • Never use a charcoal or gas grill indoors.
  • Stay away from flooded areas and debris, which can hide downed lines, and do not drive around looking at damage.
  • Leaving home? Turn off appliances that were on, or the main breaker.

Duke says it cannot pay for spoiled food or other losses caused by storms.

Water, sewer and emergency alerts

The City of Durham, not Duke, runs water and sewer. Call 919-560-4344 after hours or Durham One Call at 919-560-1200 during business hours. The city remains under Stage 2 water shortage response because of drought, so check the city website for current limits.

For emergency alerts, sign up for Alert Durham, the city-county notification system, at alertdurham.com.

What this means for you

  • Save 57801 in your phone now: text OUT when the lights go out.
  • Check your bill to see whether you are a Duke Energy Carolinas, Duke Energy Progress or Piedmont EMC customer.
  • Treat every downed line as live and call 911 if it is sparking or blocking a road.

More: who to call at City Hall, moving to Durham and road construction and closures.

Frequently asked questions

How do I report a power outage in Durham?

Duke Energy customers can text OUT to 57801, report online at duke-energy.com/outages or call: 800-769-3766 for Duke Energy Carolinas or 800-419-6356 for Duke Energy Progress. Your bill shows which one serves you.

Where is the Duke Energy outage map?

Duke Energy’s outage map at outagemaps.duke-energy.com shows current outages by county, with estimated restoration times.

Which electric cooperative serves Durham County?

Piedmont Electric Membership Corp., a cooperative based in Hillsborough, serves members in parts of Durham County as well as Alamance, Caswell, Granville, Orange and Person counties. Report outages at 800-222-3107.

Who do I call about a water outage in Durham?

The City of Durham runs water and sewer. For water service problems after hours, call 919-560-4344; during business hours, call Durham One Call at 919-560-1200.