Tired of Waynesville Electric bills? Here are your solar and backup options
Waynesville runs its own electric system for about half the town and has a solar plan built around net metering. Here is how it works and why backup matters here after Helene.
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Who runs Waynesville's electric system
The Town of Waynesville provides publicly owned electric service to about 3,000 homes and businesses within a limited service area, about half of the town. The town buys its power under a wholesale contract with Santee Cooper, the South Carolina public utility. The town board sets rates. Outside the town's service area, customers are on Duke Energy or Haywood EMC.
How Waynesville handles rooftop solar
The town's solar plan says systems must be designed for net metering. Home systems must be under 20 kW and no larger than the home's typical usage, with larger ones reviewed case by case. Each customer class has a program cap of 500 kW, and once a class fills up the town stops taking applications from it unless it reopens them. Customers may be asked to pay one-time costs for protective equipment such as a new transformer.
In 2022 the town board debated how generous to be with solar. Aldermen leaned toward net metering with a monthly flat fee so solar customers pay a share of grid upkeep. Ask the town for the current credit and any solar fee.
Outages in Haywood County
Hurricane Helene in late September 2024 knocked out power across much of western North Carolina. During business hours the town takes outage calls through Electric Maintenance. After hours they go through the Waynesville Police Department.
Many homeowners in town systems end up with a simpler question than the solar math: how do I keep the house running when the power drops? A home battery can carry the essentials for hours or longer. A whole home generator on natural gas or propane can run for days. Solar can recharge a battery during a long outage if it is wired for it, and that wiring has to meet Waynesville Electric's interconnection standard.
Why a $349 evaluation is the fastest real answer
Solar contractors around Waynesville are busy, and a lot of homeowners find their calls go unreturned or the first visit gets pushed weeks out. On HomeBackupPros you can book a paid home energy evaluation for $349. The contractor reviews your usage, checks your roof and electrical panel, and gives you a written quote. If you buy the system from that same contractor, the $349 is credited toward the purchase price.
Bring 12 months of Waynesville Electric bills and tell the contractor up front who your utility is, so the quote follows Waynesville Electric's rules and not Duke's. Every contractor on HomeBackupPros is reviewed and approved by our team, and we check their NC electrical contractor license. They are independent businesses. HomeBackupPros does not install anything. Contractors can also offer a free site visit or send an estimate, and you choose.
Where Waynesville Electric serves in our area
- Waynesville (about half the town)
- Haywood County
Questions
Is my Waynesville home on town electric or Duke?
The town serves about half of Waynesville. Outside its service area, customers are on Duke Energy or Haywood EMC. Your bill shows which one.
Does Waynesville offer net metering?
The town's solar plan says systems must be designed for net metering, with size limits and program caps. Ask the town for current credit terms and any monthly solar fee.
How big a solar system can I install in Waynesville?
Home systems must be under 20 kW and no larger than your typical usage. Larger systems may be considered case by case.
Where does Waynesville get its power?
The town buys wholesale power under a contract with Santee Cooper, the South Carolina public utility, and distributes it to its roughly 3,000 customers inside the town service area.