States › North Carolina › May 2026
North Carolina electricity prices, May 2026
Average price, sales and bills for the month against the same month a year earlier and the US. Preliminary
In May 2026, residential customers in North Carolina paid an average of 15.09¢ per kilowatthour, up 5.4% on the same month a year earlier (14.32¢). The US average for the month was 18.44¢; North Carolina was 18% below that. It ranked 35th highest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Residential sales were 4,522,219 MWh, up 3.7% on a year earlier, and the average residential bill for the month was $130.38 on 864 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 | May 2026 | May 2025 | Change | US, May 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 15.09¢ | 14.32¢ | +5.4% | 18.44¢ |
| Commercial | 10.44¢ | 10.16¢ | +2.8% | 13.54¢ |
| Industrial | 7.78¢ | 7.52¢ | +3.5% | 8.71¢ |
| All sectors | 11.82¢ | 11.28¢ | +4.8% | 13.83¢ |
Sales and customers
| Measure | May 2026 | May 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential sales | 4.5 TWh | 4.4 TWh | +3.7% |
| Sales, all sectors | 11 TWh | 10.8 TWh | +1.9% |
| Residential customers | 5,234,180 | 5,133,483 | +2.0% |
| Average residential bill | $130.38 | $121.58 | +7.2% |
| Average residential use, kWh | 864 | 849 | +1.8% |
| US residential price | 18.44¢ | 17.37¢ | +6.2% |
The two years to May 2026
North Carolina residentialUS residential
Questions and answers
What was the average electricity price in North Carolina in May 2026?
15.09¢ per kilowatthour for residential customers, 10.44¢ for commercial and 7.78¢ for industrial customers. EIA marks the month as preliminary.
How does that compare with a year earlier?
The residential average was 14.32¢ in May 2025, a change of +5.4%. Residential sales changed by +3.7% over the same period.
What was the average residential bill that month?
$130.38, on average use of 864 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.