Calling Duke Energy was difficult because of the holiday season, but even when the offices are closed, you can still get some information. Normally, Duke Energy uses the 1-800-521-2232 line as its main number in Indiana, but the number is only available Monday through Friday during normal business hours, and only when holidays are not involved.
There is a support line that you can use in case of emergency, such as a downed power line, which is 1-800-343-3525. However, this number isn't meant to be used for normal customer service questions, so if you've called outside of the window of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday, or there's a holiday involved, you're out of luck if you're not already a customer.
If you are a customer of Duke Energy, there are things you can do with this number. First, the system will recognize you immediately as a Duke Energy customer if you have a phone number authorized on your account, without you having to do anything to identify yourself. That's a little unsettling in the case of a lost or stolen phone, but most people who would take someone else's phone probably wouldn't be calling their electric company for any reason.
With your identification established, the system gives you the chance to say what you're calling about. I asked to check my balance for the past month, and the system told me that my account was in good standing and I did not need to make a payment. It then told me the amount of money that my last bill was for and when I had last made a payment. It further explained that if I wanted, I could look into enrolling in budget billing, which would give me one set monthly payment for electricity each month instead of having it vary each month.
I opted to hear about it but did not pursue it further. Instead, I asked how much electricity I had used the previous month. The system, however, did not understand the question and thought I was again asking about my bill. I tried again, but it became clear the system did not understand my question and either would not or could not offer this information. With no other needs for this call, I hung up.
Overall, I think Duke Energy's automated system does a good job of serving customers when nobody is available to take your call. It's very easy to leave customers in the lurch, but Duke Energy has chosen not to do that with its service. It makes it clear that customers can call at any point for information, and the system can often provide at least something.
I am a Duke Energy customer, and I do plan to use this number again in the future.