What air conditioning costs to run in North Carolina
North Carolina homes use 2,470 kWh a year on air conditioning. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $215.55 to $359.91 a year across 33 published North Carolina plans — a $144.36 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
Cheapest 25 of 31 priced plans, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase✓ cheapesttime-of-use | $215.55 | — | 9.7¢ |
| Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Three Phasetime-of-use | $215.55 | — | 10.5¢ |
| RT (Residential Service Time of Use)time-of-use · demand charge | $238.37 | +$22.82 | 11.0¢ |
| Residential Time Of Use Schedule (R-TOUD) - Three Phasetime-of-use · demand charge | $240.94 | +$25.39 | 12.1¢ |
| RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing))time-of-use · needs an all-electric home | $261.40 | +$45.85 | 11.9¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Three Phasetime-of-use · demand charge | $271.30 | +$55.75 | 13.3¢ |
| ES (Residential Service Energy Star, All-Electric)time-of-use · tiered · needs an all-electric home | $272.62 | +$57.07 | 12.9¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Single Phasetime-of-use · demand charge | $274.76 | +$59.21 | 12.5¢ |
| RSTC (Residential Service Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)time-of-use | $277.45 | +$61.90 | 12.6¢ |
| RE (Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning)time-of-use · tiered · needs electric heating | $286.35 | +$70.80 | 13.5¢ |
| Residential Service Energy Star All-Electric EStiered · needs an all-electric home | $293.16 | +$77.61 | 12.9¢ |
| ES (Residential Service Energy Star, Standard)flat rate · needs qualifying appliances | $299.88 | +$84.33 | 13.5¢ |
| Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning - REtiered · needs electric heating | $309.96 | +$94.41 | 13.6¢ |
| RS (Residential Service)flat rate | $315.12 | +$99.57 | 14.1¢ |
| Residential Service Energy Star Standard EStiered · needs qualifying appliances | $317.52 | +$101.97 | 13.9¢ |
| Residential Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing (R-TOU-CPP) Single Phasetime-of-use | $330.37 | +$114.82 | 14.9¢ |
| Residential Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing (R-TOU-CPP) Three Phasetime-of-use | $330.37 | +$114.82 | 15.8¢ |
| Residential Time of Use EV(R-TOU-EV) Single Phasetime-of-use · needs an electric vehicle | $334.80 | +$119.25 | 15.1¢ |
| Residential Time of Use EV(R-TOU-EV) Three Phasetime-of-use · needs an electric vehicle | $334.80 | +$119.25 | 15.9¢ |
| Residential Service RB; Closed Ratetiered · closed to new customers | $334.92 | +$119.37 | 14.7¢ |
| Residential - RS (SC)tiered | $335.64 | +$120.09 | 14.6¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use with Critical Peak Pricing(R-TOU-CPP) Single Phasetime-of-use | $343.75 | +$128.20 | 15.3¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use with Critical Peak Pricing(R-TOU-CPP) Three Phasetime-of-use | $343.75 | +$128.20 | 16.2¢ |
| Residential Service - Three Phasetime-of-use · tiered | $347.12 | +$131.57 | 16.9¢ |
| Residential Time of Use (R-TOU) Three Phasetime-of-use | $347.41 | +$131.86 | 16.4¢ |
6 further schedules are published and priced but not listed here — mostly regional and seasonal variants of the plans above. The dearest of them costs $359.91 a year at this usage.
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $102.76 (Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase), dearest $171.51, a $68.75 spread
- Average — cheapest $215.55 (Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase), dearest $359.91, a $144.36 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $293.94 (Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase), dearest $490.74, a $196.80 spread
What air conditioning costs here
Across 31 plans priced in North Carolina, air conditioning adds $215.55 to $359.91 a year — $17.96 to $29.99 a month. The median plan puts air conditioning at $335.64 a year.
Cheapest for air conditioning: Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase, Progress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina). Dearest: Residential Service (RES-55) Three Phase, Progress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina).
Those 2,470 kWh are billed at 8.7¢–14.6¢, against a 15.3¢ whole-bill average on the median plan, so on these plans the two rates are close.
What North Carolina homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 2,470 kWh a year across 438 sampled homes that run one, near the national 2,318 kWh. The middle half spans 1,177 kWh to 3,368 kWh, so air conditioning varies by 2,191 kWh between one household and another.
All electricity used for cooling — central systems, heat pumps in cooling mode, and window or wall units — plus the air handler that runs with them. That average covers homes with air conditioning — 91% of homes here.
That makes air conditioning about 20% of the electricity a North Carolina home uses. The remaining 10,028 kWh is what air conditioning is billed on top of, and on a tiered or time-of-use plan that is what sets the rate it meets.
By provider
On each North Carolina provider's cheapest plan: Progress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina), $215.55; Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, $238.37; Progress Energy Carolinas Inc, $240.94; Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina), $335.64.
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina) charges $120.09 a year more than Progress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina) on Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase for the same 2,470 kWh.
Light and heavy use of air conditioning
A household in the lighter quarter runs air conditioning for 1,177 kWh a year and pays $102.76 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 3,368 kWh and pays $293.94 — $191.18 more for air conditioning on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for North Carolina, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 33 North Carolina tariffs WattClear has ingested — not every plan sold there.
New to these terms? The methodology page explains tiered bands, time-of-use periods and fixed charges, and sets out exactly what the rate engine assumes.
Estimate — your actual bill may differ.
Tariff structures from NREL/OpenEI Utility Rate Database (CC0 1.0), retrieved September 2, 2026.
Location resolved through the US Census Bureau Geocoder (Public domain) at 35.2271, -80.8431.