States › North Carolina › January 2026
North Carolina electricity prices, January 2026
Average price, sales and bills for the month against the same month a year earlier and the US. Preliminary
In January 2026, residential customers in North Carolina paid an average of 13.68¢ per kilowatthour, up 9.4% on the same month a year earlier (12.51¢). The US average for the month was 17.45¢; North Carolina was 22% below that. It ranked 38th highest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Residential sales were 7,034,595 MWh, down 8.2% on a year earlier, and the average residential bill for the month was $184.86 on 1,351 kWh. Weather moves monthly sales far more than prices do, so bills swing with the season.
EIA marks this month as preliminary. Preliminary months come from the Form EIA-861M sample and are revised when the annual census is complete.
Average price is revenue divided by sales for the sector and year; it is not a tariff rate. Reliability figures are as reported by utilities to EIA on Form 861 and may use different calculation methods. Monthly figures come from the Form EIA-861M sample and are revised when EIA finalises the year.
Price by sector
| Sector | Jan 2026 | Jan 2025 | Change | US, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 13.68¢ | 12.51¢ | +9.4% | 17.45¢ |
| Commercial | 10.19¢ | 9.97¢ | +2.2% | 13.64¢ |
| Industrial | 8.01¢ | 8.18¢ | -2.1% | 9.29¢ |
| All sectors | 11.72¢ | 11.10¢ | +5.6% | 14.17¢ |
Sales and customers
| Measure | Jan 2026 | Jan 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential sales | 7 TWh | 7.7 TWh | -8.2% |
| Sales, all sectors | 13.2 TWh | 14 TWh | -5.3% |
| Residential customers | 5,206,934 | 5,107,526 | +1.9% |
| Average residential bill | $184.86 | $187.70 | -1.5% |
| Average residential use, kWh | 1,351 | 1,500 | -9.9% |
| US residential price | 17.45¢ | 15.94¢ | +9.5% |
The two years to January 2026
North Carolina residentialUS residential
Questions and answers
What was the average electricity price in North Carolina in January 2026?
13.68¢ per kilowatthour for residential customers, 10.19¢ for commercial and 8.01¢ for industrial customers. EIA marks the month as preliminary.
How does that compare with a year earlier?
The residential average was 12.51¢ in January 2025, a change of +9.4%. Residential sales changed by -8.2% over the same period.
What was the average residential bill that month?
$184.86, on average use of 1,351 kWh. This is residential revenue divided by residential customers for the month.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861M sales and revenue workbook (state by sector and month), status "Preliminary" for this month, series published through July 2026. Public domain. Price = revenue ÷ sales; bill = residential revenue ÷ residential customers. Utility-level annual figures are on the North Carolina page.