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Privacy

Duke Energy Privacy Policy

Privacy has always been an important part of how we do business. We would like to make our policy concerning information collection and use absolutely clear. This notice explains our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way information is collected and used.

Go straight to:
The Information We Collect
How We Use The Information We Collect
Information Sharing
Security
Obtaining And Correcting Personally Identifiable Information
How To Reach Us
Links to Non-Duke Energy Sites
Changes To Our Privacy Policy

The Information We Collect

At Duke Energy, we do not collect personally identifiable information about you through our web site unless you voluntarily provide it. At any time, you may opt-out of providing such personally identifiable information by simply not providing it or by discontinuing your use of the Duke Energy web site.

Examples of personally identifiable information which you may provide to us while using our site include:

• Email addresses
• Address
  
• Name
  
• Phone number
  
• Account number (if you are a current customer)
  
• Social Security number
  
• Information about your computer and browser
  
• Gender and ethnicity (if you inquire about programs applicable to minorities)

If you want to customize some areas within our site or you ask detailed questions or request information that meets your specific needs, you will need to supply some personally identifiable information. This may include identifying topics of interest, supplying your title and function for business users, providing a home/office address, or filling out account information for billing questions.

To improve our web site, we collect information on the number of visits to our web site, the time visitors spend on the web site, the number of pages viewed and the domains from which visitors visit our web site. This information is only analyzed by us in the aggregate; it is not associated with any specific individuals.

Parts of our web site use cookies. A cookie is a piece of data stored on your hard drive or in your computer's memory containing information about your visit and preferences. You may receive a cookie that compiles site usage information (number of visitors, most popular pages, etc.) and enhances your experience on our web site. Many popular browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies.

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How We Use The Information We Collect

We use the information you voluntarily provide to:

• Fulfill your request
  
• Help you quickly find and/or receive information about Duke Energy or one of its affiliated companies
  
• Alert you to updated information and services
  
• Provide more complete service
  
• Improve the content of our web site for your reference
  
• Answer your questions.

In some cases, we may contact you to let you know about new products or services. If you do not wish to be contacted by us for this purpose, you may provide this request by using our Contact Us form.

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Information Sharing

Duke Energy does not sell the personally identifiable information you provide for financial gain nor does Duke Energy share such information with third parties for the purpose of sending you advertisements for products or services unaffiliated with Duke Energy or with its affiliates or business partners. Duke Energy may, however, share personally identifiable information that you provide to us for legitimate business purposes, including without limitation the following:

1. transferring such information to Duke Energy's affiliates and subsidiaries, unless such transfer is prohibited by law;
   
2. transferring such information as part of a merger, consolidation, acquisition, divestiture or other corporate restructuring (including bankruptcy);
   
3. making such information available to third parties who are providing the product, service or information that you have requested (but never your password);
   
4. making such information available to third parties who are providing services to Duke Energy or its subsidiaries or affiliates (e.g., providing such information to third parties performing computer-related services for Duke Energy or its affiliates (but never your password));
   
5. we form a good-faith belief that disclosure of such information is necessary to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding any illegal activities or regarding interference with the operation of our site or violation of its terms of use; or
   
6. disclosing such information is allowed by law or our legal counsel forms a good-faith belief that such disclosure is required by federal or state law, subpoena or court order.

By providing personally identifiable information, you expressly consent to these privacy practices.

Also, Duke Energy reserves the right to share any aggregated information (i.e., non-personally identifiable information) with any third parties for any reason, unless prohibited by law.

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Security

Given the nature of the internet and the fact that no security system is perfect, Duke Energy does not absolutely promise that the information you provide will never be obtained by unauthorized persons. Duke Energy does, however, utilize industry-standard practices to protect your personally identifiable information from loss, misuse, alteration and destruction. Such measures include using firewalls and Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) to protect certain sensitive transmissions of information. In some areas of our web site, we require a user ID and password for you to access certain information. Duke Energy will not disclose such password to third parties; however, you are responsible for maintaining the privacy and security of your password.

Obtaining And Correcting Personally Identifiable Information

If you wish to obtain a copy of the personally identifiable information that we have obtained from you through your use of this site, or you believe that we have personally identifiable information about you that is in error or you wish to delete any personally identifiable information that we have obtained from you through your use of our site, please contact us using the information below:

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How To Reach Us:

Postal Address:
Duke Energy Company
PO Box 1090
Charlotte, NC 28201-1090

E-mail: Submit a question or comment by using our e-mail form.

Telephone: 1.800.USE.DUKE (1.800.873.3853) or 704-382-0418

If you believe we have not followed this privacy policy in some instance, please contact our business ethics officer by e-mail at ethicsofficer@duke-energy.com.

Links To Non-Duke Energy Sites

For the convenience of our users, some pages of our web site offer you the ability to link to and view pages of web site not operated or controlled by Duke Energy (such as weather and financial information). Often, but not always, you can tell that you have linked to a non-Duke Energy web site because the web site will open a separate browser window. Links by Duke Energy to such external web sites do not imply endorsement by Duke Energy of that company, its site or its privacy policy. Duke Energy and its affiliates do not monitor or control the content or the privacy policies of the external sites and are therefore not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of linked external web sites. When using a link to a non-Duke Energy web site, we recommend that you investigate the privacy practices and policies of such external site.

Changes To Our Privacy Policy

Duke Energy reserves the right to change this privacy policy at any time. If we decide to change our policy regarding privacy, we will post the revised Privacy Policy on our web site. You may want to visit this web site periodically to review the current Privacy Policy. Use of our web site after the posting of a revised privacy policy constitutes your agreement with the revised policy. This Privacy Policy is not intended to and does not create any contractual or legal rights in or on behalf of any party.