North Carolina · Investor Owned · serves 752 ZIP codes
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC rate plans
3 residential plans are currently open to new customers that we can price side by side. Some charge different prices depending on the hour — which is where most of the savings hide.
What does Duke Energy Carolinas cost at a normal month’s usage?
A household using 1,000 kWh a month pays about $1,510 a year on the cheapest of the 6 plans we can price here — RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)) — and $1,699 on the priciest. Same house, same wires.
| A month of | Cheapest, a year | On which plan | Priciest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $839 | RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)) | $934 |
| 1,000 kWh | $1,510 | RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)) | $1,699 |
| 2,000 kWh | $2,853 | RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)) | $3,231 |
The same plan is cheapest at every level of use here, so the answer does not turn on how much you use. Estimates from the filed tariff, priced hour by hour on a household with central air — not a quote.
How much does the plan you pick actually matter here?
Run the same three-bedroom house with central air through every plan Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC files in North Carolina, and the bill lands anywhere between $1,292 and $1,374 a year. That $81 spread is not a difference in electricity — it is the same kilowatt-hours, from the same wires, priced under different rules. Nobody sends you a letter when you are on the wrong side of it.
Those figures describe North Carolina, because comparing across zones would be misleading: your zone is set by where you live, not by anything you can choose. The plan lists further down are grouped the same way, so compare inside your own group — your bill names it.
The plan most households land on by default, RS (Residential Service), comes to about $1,374. The cheapest option here, RSTC (Residential Service Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing), comes to $1,292 — a gap of about $81 a year for a household that never changed a single habit. Whether you can actually capture that depends on when you use power, which is what the calculator below is for.
1 of these 3 plans price by the hour. Those are the ones where moving laundry, dishes, or car charging into the cheap window changes the bill; on the rest, the clock is irrelevant and only the total matters. Which camp you belong in is the first question worth settling, because it decides whether shifting your day is worth anything at all.
How Duke Energy Carolinas compares across North Carolina
Run the same three-bedroom house with central air through its default plan at each of the 7 North Carolina utilities we cover, and Duke Energy Carolinas comes in 3rd cheapest at about $1,374 a year; the state median is $1,414. The range runs from $1,143 at City of Concord to $1,945 at Roanoke Electric Member, and since the utility is set by the address, the part of that gap you can act on is the plan, not the company.
The other two households tell the same story in different sizes: a small apartment pays about $789 here against a state median of $901, and the same house with an electric car charging overnight about $1,839 against $1,819. Effective rate, fixed charge included, is 14.5¢ per kilowatt-hour for the family home.
Inside Duke Energy Carolinas itself, the gap between its cheapest and dearest plan for that house is $81 a year — less than the $802 between North Carolina's cheapest and dearest utilities. Here the address decides most of the bill; the plan decides the rest.
Every North Carolina utility we cover, priced for the same three households →
When are Duke Energy Carolinas’ peak hours?
Duke Energy Carolinas’ peak hours are 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September on 14 of its 18 time-of-use plans — the rest use different windows, below. Everything outside those hours is off-peak, apart from a mid-priced shoulder period.
At peak, Residential Service Time-of-Use charges 20.6¢ a kWh; off-peak it is 7.0¢ — 3.0× apart. These hours only matter on a time-of-use plan — the default plan, RS (Residential Service), charges one rate at every hour.
| Plan | Peak hours | Peak | Off-peak | Weekends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Single PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina) | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 20.6¢ | 7.0¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Three PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina) | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 20.6¢ | 7.0¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use with Critical Peak Pricing(R-TOU-CPP) Single PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina) | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 29.7¢ | 9.5¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use with Critical Peak Pricing(R-TOU-CPP) Three PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina) | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 29.7¢ | 9.5¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Service-Time of Use (R-TOUD) - Single PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 17.7¢ | 6.4¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Time of Use (R-TOU) Single PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 32.0¢ | 9.5¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Time of Use (R-TOU) Three PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 32.0¢ | 9.5¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Time Of Use Schedule (R-TOUD) - Three PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 17.7¢ | 6.4¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing (R-TOU-CPP) Single PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 24.0¢ | 10.4¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing (R-TOU-CPP) Three PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 24.0¢ | 10.4¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Time-of-Use RTSouth Carolina | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 19.7¢ | 5.6¢ | partly priced |
| RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing))North Carolina | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 21.8¢ | 7.5¢ | partly priced |
| RSTC (Residential Service Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)North Carolina | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 24.0¢ | 7.9¢ | partly priced |
| RT (Residential Service Time of Use)North Carolina | 6am–9am, October–April; 6pm–9pm, May–September | 17.6¢ | 5.9¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Service Solar Time-of-Use (R-STOU) Single PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina) | 6am–9am, 6pm–9pm, December–February; 6pm–9pm, March–November | 21.2¢ | 10.8¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Service Solar Time-of-Use (R-STOU) Three PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina) | 6am–9am, 6pm–9pm, December–February; 6pm–9pm, March–November | 21.2¢ | 10.8¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Time of Use EV(R-TOU-EV) Single PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc | 5am–11pm | 15.2¢ | 8.6¢ | partly priced |
| Residential Time of Use EV(R-TOU-EV) Three PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc | 5am–11pm | 15.2¢ | 8.6¢ | partly priced |
On Residential Time of Use, every kilowatt-hour a day you move from 6am to 1am is worth about $82 a year in the month the gap is widest — an electric car or a water heater on a timer is the kind of load that actually moves. When to charge an electric car →
Which plan would cost you least?
No bill upload, no sign-up. Tell us roughly what a month costs you and what runs on electricity — we price every plan against the same household and show you the gap.
That adds up to 11,445 kWh a year. Compare it to the total on your bill and adjust until it’s close.
Same usage, different plan
$414a year
That is the gap between the cheapest plan you could be on — RT (Residential Service Time of Use) — and the priciest. Not by using less power. By being billed differently for the same power.
| Plan | Per year | Vs best |
|---|---|---|
| RT (Residential Service Time of Use)Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day. | $1,213 | — |
| RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing))Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day. | $1,441 | +$229 |
| ES (Residential Service Energy Star, All-Electric)The hour never matters here — only the season. Rates peak October–April. | $1,493 | +$280 |
| RSTC (Residential Service Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day. | $1,523 | +$310 |
| ES (Residential Service Energy Star, Standard)One rate, every hour of the year. | $1,557 | +$344 |
| RE (Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning)The hour never matters here — only the season. Rates peak October–April. | $1,560 | +$347 |
| RS (Residential Service)One rate, every hour of the year. | $1,627 | +$414 |
An estimate, not a quote. Supply charges move month to month, and your real usage pattern is not exactly this one. What it does show reliably is the gap between plans — both are priced off the same assumptions.
Before you switch anything
- What is a time-of-use electricity rate?
The same kilowatt-hour, priced differently depending on when you use it.
- Should you switch to a time-of-use electricity plan?
A wide peak-to-off-peak gap is a lever, not a saving. Levers need something to move.
- How to compare electricity plans without getting it wrong
Six things that break a comparison, and the order to check them in.
Every plan, in detail
Hour-by-hour schedules, tier thresholds, and the tariff each one comes from.
North Carolina
- ES (Residential Service Energy Star, All-Electric)flat
The hour never matters here — only the season. Rates peak October–April.
10.6–11.7¢ - ES (Residential Service Energy Star, Standard)flat
One rate, every hour of the year.
12.1¢ - RE (Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning)flat
The hour never matters here — only the season. Rates peak October–April.
11.1–12.3¢ - RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing))time-of-use
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
7.5–21.8¢ - RS (Residential Service)flat
One rate, every hour of the year.
12.8¢ - RSTC (Residential Service Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)time-of-use
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
7.9–24.0¢ - RT (Residential Service Time of Use)demand charge
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
5.9–17.6¢
South Carolina
- Residential - RS (SC)flat
One rate, every hour of the year.
13.4–14.2¢ - Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning - REflat
One rate, every hour of the year.
12.4–13.1¢ - Residential Service Energy Star All-Electric ESflat
One rate, every hour of the year.
11.7–12.4¢ - Residential Service Energy Star Standard ESflat
One rate, every hour of the year.
12.7–13.4¢ - Residential Time-of-Use RTdemand charge
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
5.6–19.7¢
Progress Energy Carolinas Inc
- Residential Service - Single Phaseflat
The hour never matters here — only the season. Rates peak November–April.
13.7–14.7¢ - Residential Service - Three Phaseflat
The hour never matters here — only the season. Rates peak November–June.
13.7–14.7¢ - Residential Service-Time of Use (R-TOUD) - Single Phasedemand charge
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
6.4–17.7¢ - Residential Time of Use (R-TOU) Single Phasetime-of-use
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
9.5–32.0¢ - Residential Time of Use (R-TOU) Three Phasetime-of-use
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
9.5–32.0¢ - Residential Time of Use EV(R-TOU-EV) Single Phasetime-of-use
Peak hits 5am–11pm every day, all year.
8.6–15.2¢ - Residential Time of Use EV(R-TOU-EV) Three Phasetime-of-use
Peak hits 5am–11pm every day, all year.
8.6–15.2¢ - Residential Time Of Use Schedule (R-TOUD) - Three Phasedemand charge
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
6.4–17.7¢ - Residential Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing (R-TOU-CPP) Single Phasetime-of-use
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
10.4–24.0¢ - Residential Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing (R-TOU-CPP) Three Phasetime-of-use
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
10.4–24.0¢
Progress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina)
- Residential Service (RES-55) Single Phaseflat
The hour never matters here — only the season. Rates peak October–April.
14.2–15.2¢ - Residential Service (RES-55) Three Phaseflat
The hour never matters here — only the season. Rates peak October–April.
14.2–15.2¢ - Residential Service Solar Time-of-Use (R-STOU) Single Phasedemand charge
Peak hits 6am–9am in Dec–Feb, 6pm–9pm in Mar–Nov — every day.
10.8–21.2¢ - Residential Service Solar Time-of-Use (R-STOU) Three Phasedemand charge
Peak hits 6am–9am in Dec–Feb, 6pm–9pm in Mar–Nov — every day.
10.8–21.2¢ - Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Single Phasedemand charge
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
7.0–20.6¢ - Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Three Phasedemand charge
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
7.0–20.6¢ - Residential Service Time-of-Use with Critical Peak Pricing(R-TOU-CPP) Single Phasetime-of-use
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
9.5–29.7¢ - Residential Service Time-of-Use with Critical Peak Pricing(R-TOU-CPP) Three Phasetime-of-use
Peak hits 6am–9am in Oct–Apr, 6pm–9pm in May–Sep — every day.
9.5–29.7¢