Solar Freedom State Law

North Carolina Solar Contract Rights: Chapter 75 DTPA & Your Legal Options (2026)

Review solar-contract consumer information for North Carolina, including records to gather and official sources to verify. Options depend on facts and current law.

Duke Energy Changed the Net Metering Rules. Did Your Solar Rep Tell You? North Carolina Law Says They Had To.

The Net Metering Bridge tariff slashed export credits by 75%. If your contract was sold on the old math, you may have a legal case.

North Carolina Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-1.1

Under the FTC Cooling-Off Rule. NC does not have a state-specific extended window, but Chapter 75 violations create independent grounds for cancellation.

North Carolina has become one of the fastest-growing solar markets in the Southeast — and one of the most complaint-heavy. The combination of Duke Energy's complex rate structures, a growing suburban population in the Charlotte and Raleigh metros, and aggressive out-of-state sales crews has created a perfect environment for predatory solar contracts. The state's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act (Chapter 75) is the primary tool for fighting back.

The Duke Energy Net Metering Bridge: The Policy Change That Changed Everything

In 2023–2024, Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress transitioned new solar customers from Legacy Net Metering to the "Net Metering Bridge" (NMB) tariff. Under Legacy Net Metering, you received retail-rate credit (approximately 12–14 cents per kWh) for every unit you exported. Under the NMB, that credit dropped to approximately 3–4 cents per kWh — a reduction of 70–75%. If your sales rep used Legacy Net Metering economics to calculate your savings after the NMB transition was announced, they were using numbers they knew (or should have known) were wrong.

What Chapter 75 Covers

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 75-1.1 prohibits "unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce." North Carolina courts have interpreted this broadly. Misrepresenting the value of net metering credits, overstating the federal tax credit, using false urgency ("sign today or lose the rate"), and failing to disclose the impact of a solar lien on home sales have all been found to constitute unfair or deceptive practices in North Carolina.

North Carolina law allows homeowners to recover treble damages (three times actual damages) for willful violations of Chapter 75. This is not just about getting out of the contract — it is about being compensated for the harm caused.