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Average Electric Bill in North Carolina

Residential · 12-month average, June 2025 – May 2026.

$150per month▲ 2.8% vs. the year before

That works out to about $1,796 a year. Among the 50 states and DC, North Carolina has the 29th highest average residential bill.

What makes up the bill

Price
14.45¢
per kWh
▼ 19.0%U.S. 17.84¢
Usage
1,036 kWh
per month
▲ 18.9%U.S. 871 kWh
Bill
$150
per month
▼ 3.7%U.S. $155

Price × usage = bill, exactly: 14.45¢/kWh × 1,036 kWh ≈ $150. A state can land high on either factor — North Carolina pays below the national rate but uses much more power than average.

Compared with nearby states

Average monthly residential electricity bill, in US dollars
North Carolina
$150
U.S. average
$155
Virginia
$171
South Carolina
$164
Tennessee
$162
Georgia
$161

North Carolina is $6 a month below (-3.7%) the U.S. average of $155. Neighboring states share fuel mixes, weather, and often a grid operator, which makes them a closer benchmark than the national average.

Trend since 2008

North CarolinaU.S.
$99$115$130$145$160Dec '08Apr '13Sep '17Jan '22May '26U.S.North Carolina

Each point is a trailing 12-month average, which strips out the summer/winter swing and leaves the underlying trend. Bills start in January 2008 because that is when EIA began reporting customer counts.

Seasonal swing

Highest month
$186
July 2025
Lowest month
$119
October 2025
Swing
$67
peak minus low
Latest month
$130
May 2026

Actual bills are far from flat: North Carolina peaks in July 2025 and bottoms out in October 2025. The headline figure above is the average across all twelve months.

North Carolina electricity bills in context

North Carolina's average monthly electricity bill stands at $150, ranking 29th highest among the 50 states and DC. The bill has risen 2.8% since the prior year, when it was $146, and has climbed 23.3% since May 2021. Over the longer run, electricity bills have grown 40.4% since December 2008.

The state pays less than the national average of $155, a gap of $5 per month or 3.7%. This below-average bill reflects two offsetting forces: North Carolina's price of 14.45¢/kWh runs 3.39¢/kWh lower than the nation's 17.84¢/kWh, which pulls the bill down, but homes use 165 kWh more each month than the national average of 871 kWh, which pushes it up. The higher usage outweighs the lower rate.

Seasonal swings are substantial. Bills peak in July 2025 at $186 and drop to $119 in October 2025, a difference of $67. Neighbouring states all pay more: Virginia costs $171 monthly, South Carolina $164, Tennessee $162, and Georgia $161.

Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.

Frequently asked questions

›How much is the average electric bill in North Carolina?
The average residential electricity bill in North Carolina is $150 a month, or about $1,796 a year. That is the average across June 2025 – May 2026, calculated from EIA data as total residential electricity revenue divided by the number of residential customers.
›Is the electric bill in North Carolina higher than the national average?
North Carolina's average bill of $150 is $6 a month lower than the U.S. average of $155. It ranks 29th highest among the 50 states and DC.
›Why is not electricity expensive in North Carolina?
A bill is the price per kilowatt-hour multiplied by how much power a household uses. In North Carolina the residential rate averages 14.45¢/kWh against a U.S. average of 17.84¢, and the typical home uses 1,036 kWh a month against a U.S. average of 871 kWh. North Carolina pays below the national rate but uses much more power than average.
›When is the electric bill highest in North Carolina?
North Carolina bills peak in July 2025 at $186 and are lowest in October 2025 at $119 — a swing of $67 between the most and least expensive month.
›How does North Carolina compare with neighboring states?
Among states bordering North Carolina, Virginia has the highest average bill at $171 and Georgia the lowest at $161. North Carolina itself averages $150 a month.

How this is calculated

EIA’s retail-sales dataset reports, for every state and month, total residential revenue and the number of residential customers served. The average monthly bill is simply the first divided by the second — total spending across all households, spread evenly over all accounts.

bill = revenue ÷ customers · averaged over 12 months (June 2025 – May 2026)

Two caveats worth knowing. It is an average, so it blends apartments with large houses — a typical household in North Carolina may pay well above or below $150. And it counts what was actually billed for electricity, including fixed service charges, so it is not the same as multiplying your own usage by the advertised rate.

Looking for the rate rather than the bill? See North Carolina electricity prices by sector.