13.41¢
per kWh, 2025
[ Duke Energy Carolinas / NC · E-7, Sub 1329 ]
Duke Energy Carolinas: 15.0% requested for 1,961,108 North Carolina homes
SETTLED
rate increase requested
15.42¢
per kWh if approved
1,961,108
residential customers
+29.4%
since 2020
What your bill becomes
Bill today
After the increase
Difference / month · / year
Estimated at Duke Energy Carolinas's average effective residential rate (13.41¢/kWh, EIA, all charges included). Your tariff, fees and taxes differ.
Rate case E-7, Sub 1329
Settlement filed Docket E-7, Sub 1329 ↗
- Nov 2025Filed with the commission as docket E-7, Sub 1329
Duke Energy Carolinas asked the North Carolina Utilities Commission on November 20, 2025 for a two-year rate plan covering 2027 and 2028, worth about $1.0 billion or 15.0% overall (SEC filing); the WFAE hearing notice puts the customer increase at 15.8%. The company cites plant investment, coal ash compliance and a 10.95% return on equity. In July 2026 it reached a settlement with business and clean-energy parties that lowers the return to 9.8%; the commission has not yet ruled, and not every party signed.
Rate history 2015–2025
| Year | ¢/kWh | Change | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 10.62¢ | — | 1,646,664 |
| 2016 | 10.42¢ | −1.9% | 1,669,923 |
| 2017 | 10.18¢ | −2.3% | 1,693,953 |
| 2018 | 10.14¢ | −0.4% | 1,719,715 |
| 2019 | 10.36¢ | +2.2% | 1,755,222 |
| 2020 | 10.36¢ | +0.0% | 1,788,300 |
| 2021 | 10.26¢ | −1.0% | 1,819,801 |
| 2022 | 10.44¢ | +1.8% | 1,837,991 |
| 2023 | 11.88¢ | +13.8% | 1,874,207 |
| 2024 | 13.94¢ | +17.3% | 1,919,372 |
| 2025 | 13.41¢ | −3.8% | 1,961,108 |
How this compares
14.00¢
North Carolina average, 2025
−4.2%
Duke Energy Carolinas vs NC 2025 average
−22.2%
vs US 2025 average
#27
priciest in NC
Serves 44 counties in North Carolina: Alamance, Alexander, Anson, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Granville, Guilford, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Orange, Person, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Wake, Wilkes, Yadkin. 558 ZIP codes.
Questions
Is Duke Energy Carolinas raising rates?
Duke Energy Carolinas filed docket E-7, Sub 1329 with the North Carolina Utilities Commission in Nov 2025 asking for a 15% increase (overall revenue increase, all customer classes), about $1002M a year. No decision date has been published.
How much more would I pay Duke Energy Carolinas each month?
At North Carolina's average use of 1,044 kWh, a bill of about $140.00 would become about $161.00 if the full 15% is approved. Commissions usually approve less than the request.
What does Duke Energy Carolinas charge per kWh?
Duke Energy Carolinas's average effective residential rate was 13.41¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA-861, revenue divided by sales, all charges included). North Carolina's 2025 average was 14.00¢.
How much have Duke Energy Carolinas rates gone up in five years?
+29.4% between 2020 and 2025, against +33.2% for North Carolina as a whole over the latest five-year window.
How many customers does Duke Energy Carolinas have in North Carolina?
1,961,108 residential customers in 2025, across 44 counties including Alamance, Alexander, Anson, according to the EIA-861 survey.
Where do these numbers come from?
Rates and customer counts are from the US Energy Information Administration's annual EIA-861 survey; rate-case facts are from the North Carolina Utilities Commission docket linked on this page. Nothing here is a utility bill; use it to understand the direction and size of changes.
Sources
Last verified 2026-10-16
- WFAE: NCUC hearing schedule for dockets E-7 Sub 1329 and E-2 Sub 1380 (NCUC docket search at starw1.ncuc.gov is bot-blocked) checked 2026-10-16
- Duke Energy Exhibit 99.1, SEC filing on the 2025 North Carolina rate cases checked 2026-10-16
- WFAE: Duke Energy Carolinas settlement, July 2026 checked 2026-10-16
- EIA-861 Sales to Ultimate Customers, 2015–2025 (released 2026-10-07)
- EIA-861M monthly state averages through Jul 2026
- NREL utility-by-ZIP lookup (2024)