North Carolina electricity rates
As of May 2026, the average residential electricity rate in North Carolina is 15.09 cents per kilowatt-hour, 18.2% below the U.S. average of 18.44¢. That is the 35th highest rate of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Year over year
- ▲ +5.4% from 14.32¢ in May 2025
- Vs. U.S. average
- -18.2% U.S. average 18.44¢
- National rank
- #35 of 51 · #17 cheapest
- Supply market
- Southeast (non-RTO) Regulated monopoly
Why North Carolina pays what it pays
North Carolina's rate advantage rests on nuclear generation. Duke Energy's Carolinas fleet supplies a large share of the state's electricity at low marginal cost from plants whose construction costs were recovered long ago.
Working the other way is the state's carbon-reduction law, which sets interim and final emissions targets and requires Duke to file a carbon plan showing how it will meet them. The plan involves retiring coal, building solar and storage at scale, adding gas capacity, and evaluating new nuclear. That is a very large capital programme, and it recovers through rates over time.
North Carolina also grew quickly. Population growth adds distribution investment, but it also adds customers to spread fixed costs across, which is why fast-growing Southern states have generally held rates better than shrinking ones.
How North Carolina compares
North Carolina ranks #35 of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, making it the 17th cheapest. Within the South Atlantic division, no state is cheaper.
| State | ¢/kWh | YoY | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 15.09 | +5.4% | #35 |
| Florida | 15.17 | +1.3% | #33 |
| Georgia | 15.84 | +5.7% | #30 |
| South Carolina | 16.18 | +5.0% | #27 |
| West Virginia | 16.80 | +3.8% | #23 |
| Virginia | 17.61 | +15.4% | #21 |
| Delaware | 19.38 | +6.9% | #19 |
| Maryland | 21.77 | +14.6% | #15 |
| District of Columbia | 25.40 | +24.3% | #10 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State. Data period May 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
What a bill looks like at this rate
The figures below apply the May 2026 North Carolina average to four usage levels. They are arithmetic, not quotes. A real bill also carries fixed customer charges, taxes and any rider specific to your utility.
Estimate your North Carolina bill
Multiply your own usage by the May 2026 state average. Enter the kilowatt-hours from your last statement. This is a supply-and-delivery blended average, not a utility quote.
Rate used: …. U.S. average 18.44¢/kWh, May 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
Who sells electricity in North Carolina
Duke Energy Carolinas serves the west and Duke Energy Progress the east, and together they cover most of the state. Dominion Energy North Carolina serves the northeast. Electric membership corporations and municipal systems serve substantial rural and small-city territory.
There is no residential retail choice. The North Carolina Utilities Commission sets rates and approves the carbon plan, and the Public Staff is a separate agency representing ratepayers.
What you can actually do about it
North Carolina permits multi-year rate plans, which means increases are approved in advance for several years at a time. Reading the current approved plan tells you what next year's increase will be before it happens.
Duke's residential time-of-use and EV rates in North Carolina have wide off-peak discounts and are opt-in. Households with electric vehicles are the clearest candidates.
Closest states by price
These jurisdictions charge within a fraction of a cent of North Carolina, which is useful if you are comparing a move or a multi-state operating cost.
North Carolina electricity rates: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in North Carolina?
The average residential electricity rate in North Carolina is 15.09 cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is -18.2% relative to the national average of 18.44¢/kWh.
How much is a typical monthly electric bill in North Carolina?
At the May 2026 average rate of 15.09¢/kWh, a household using 900 kWh a month would pay about $136, and one using 1,500 kWh about $226. Actual bills vary with usage, rate schedule, fixed customer charges and taxes.
Have electricity rates in North Carolina gone up?
North Carolina rates rose 5.4% over the year to May 2026, from 14.32¢ in May 2025 to 15.09¢.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in North Carolina?
Regulated monopoly. North Carolina households buy both supply and delivery from their local regulated utility or co-operative; there is no competitive residential supplier market.
Where does this North Carolina rate figure come from?
It is the residential-sector average revenue per kilowatt-hour reported by utilities to the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Form EIA-861M and published in the Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A. It blends supply and delivery across every residential customer in the state, so it is a statewide average rather than a quote for any individual household.