Data current through June 2026 — the latest available from the U.S. EIA, which publishes monthly figures on a roughly two-month delay.
Average monthly bill
Full bill breakdown →14.57¢/kWh × 1,033 kWh a month. Residential revenue divided by residential customers, averaged over the 12 months to June 2026 — the 29th highest among the 50 states and DC.
Compared with the U.S. and neighboring states
| North Carolina | $151 | |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. average | $156 | |
| Virginia | $172 | |
| South Carolina | $164 | |
| Tennessee | $163 | |
| Georgia | $161 |
North Carolina is $5 a month below (-3.4%) the U.S. average of $156. Average monthly bill, July 2025 – June 2026.
How North Carolina makes its electricity
Fuel mix & 10-year trend →Power plants →| Source | Share | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 41.2% | 56,480 GWh |
| Coal | 13.4% | 18,417 GWh |
| Nuclear | 30.7% | 42,136 GWh |
| Wind | 0.7% | 929 GWh |
| Solar | 9.5% | 13,026 GWh |
| Hydro | 3.1% | 4,191 GWh |
| Other | 1.4% | 1,954 GWh |
137.1 TWh of net generation over the 12 months to June 2026. Generation, not consumption — power crosses state lines.
North Carolina electricity prices in context
North Carolina's residential electricity rate stands at 15.09¢/kWh as of May 2026, ranking 35th among the 50 states and DC — closer to the middle of the pack than to either extreme. This is 18.2% below the national average of 18.44¢/kWh, a difference of 3.35¢/kWh that puts the state notably cheaper than Virginia at 17.61¢/kWh and South Carolina at 16.18¢/kWh, though slightly higher than Georgia at 15.84¢/kWh and Tennessee at 14.47¢/kWh. Commercial and industrial rates are 10.44¢/kWh and 7.78¢/kWh respectively.
The residential rate has climbed substantially over longer timeframes. Since May 2021, it has risen 29.5% from 11.65¢/kWh. Over the past twenty years since May 2006, the increase totals 63.5% from 9.23¢/kWh. Compared with records extending back to January 2001, the rate has more than doubled, up 100.4% from 7.53¢/kWh. The current price sits just below the state's recent high of 16.25¢/kWh set in April 2026, and vastly above its all-time low of 7.53¢/kWh from January 2001.
A typical household's monthly bill is $150 for 1,036 kWh of usage. This bill runs slightly lower than the national average of $155, despite North Carolina's above-average monthly consumption; the national figure corresponds to 871 kWh. The difference reflects how the state's below-average rate more than compensates for residents' higher electricity usage.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.
12-month trend
Price history since 2001
Average retail price in all three sectors, every month since January 2001.
Residential
- Jan '01
- 7.53¢
- Now
- 14.74¢
- Change
- ▲ 95.8%
- Range
- 7.53–16.25¢
Recent months
| Month | Residential | Commercial | Industrial |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | 14.74 | 10.51 | 7.87 |
| May 2026 | 15.09 | 10.44 | 7.78 |
| April 2026 | 16.25 | 10.39 | 7.73 |
| March 2026 | 16.00 | 10.63 | 7.05 |
| February 2026 | 14.64 | 11.22 | 8.55 |
| January 2026 | 13.68 | 10.19 | 8.01 |
| December 2025 | 13.47 | 10.74 | 7.91 |
| November 2025 | 14.64 | 10.58 | 7.69 |
| October 2025 | 15.05 | 10.50 | 7.63 |
| September 2025 | 15.12 | 10.36 | 7.90 |
| August 2025 | 14.60 | 10.07 | 7.82 |
| July 2025 | 13.37 | 9.75 | 7.77 |
Prices in ¢/kWh.