What a humidifier costs to run in North Carolina
North Carolina homes use 159 kWh a year on a humidifier. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $13.84 to $23.14 a year across 33 published North Carolina plans — a $9.30 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
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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 | $13.84 | — | 9.7¢ |
| Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Three Phasetime-of-use | $13.84 | — | 10.5¢ |
| RT (Residential Service Time of Use)time-of-use · demand charge | $15.32 | +$1.48 | 11.0¢ |
| Residential Time Of Use Schedule (R-TOUD) - Three Phasetime-of-use · demand charge | $15.49 | +$1.65 | 12.1¢ |
| RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing))time-of-use · needs an all-electric home | $16.81 | +$2.97 | 11.9¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Three Phasetime-of-use · demand charge | $17.45 | +$3.61 | 13.3¢ |
| ES (Residential Service Energy Star, All-Electric)time-of-use · tiered · needs an all-electric home | $17.50 | +$3.66 | 12.9¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Single Phasetime-of-use · demand charge | $17.69 | +$3.85 | 12.5¢ |
| RSTC (Residential Service Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)time-of-use | $17.88 | +$4.04 | 12.6¢ |
| RE (Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning)time-of-use · tiered · needs electric heating | $18.44 | +$4.60 | 13.5¢ |
| ES (Residential Service Energy Star, Standard)flat rate · needs qualifying appliances | $19.32 | +$5.48 | 13.5¢ |
| Residential Service Energy Star All-Electric EStiered · needs an all-electric home | $19.68 | +$5.84 | 12.9¢ |
| RS (Residential Service)flat rate | $20.28 | +$6.44 | 14.1¢ |
| Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning - REtiered · needs electric heating | $20.76 | +$6.92 | 13.6¢ |
| Residential Service Energy Star Standard EStiered · needs qualifying appliances | $21.24 | +$7.40 | 13.9¢ |
| Residential Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing (R-TOU-CPP) Single Phasetime-of-use | $21.25 | +$7.41 | 14.9¢ |
| Residential Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing (R-TOU-CPP) Three Phasetime-of-use | $21.25 | +$7.41 | 15.8¢ |
| Residential Time of Use EV(R-TOU-EV) Single Phasetime-of-use · needs an electric vehicle | $21.48 | +$7.64 | 15.1¢ |
| Residential Time of Use EV(R-TOU-EV) Three Phasetime-of-use · needs an electric vehicle | $21.48 | +$7.64 | 15.9¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use with Critical Peak Pricing(R-TOU-CPP) Single Phasetime-of-use | $22.13 | +$8.29 | 15.3¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use with Critical Peak Pricing(R-TOU-CPP) Three Phasetime-of-use | $22.13 | +$8.29 | 16.2¢ |
| Residential Time of Use (R-TOU) Three Phasetime-of-use | $22.34 | +$8.50 | 16.4¢ |
| Residential Time of Use (R-TOU) Single Phasetime-of-use | $22.34 | +$8.50 | 15.6¢ |
| Residential Service - Three Phasetime-of-use · tiered | $22.36 | +$8.52 | 16.9¢ |
| Residential Service RB; Closed Ratetiered · closed to new customers | $22.44 | +$8.60 | 14.7¢ |
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 $23.14 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 $2.97 (Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase), dearest $4.95, a $1.98 spread
- Average — cheapest $13.84 (Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase), dearest $23.14, a $9.30 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $15.05 (Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase), dearest $25.11, a $10.06 spread
What a humidifier costs here
Across 31 plans priced in North Carolina, a humidifier adds $13.84 to $23.14 a year — $1.15 to $1.93 a month. The median plan puts a humidifier at $22.13 a year.
Cheapest for a humidifier: 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 159 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 159 kWh a year across 89 sampled homes that run one, near the national 139 kWh. The middle half spans 34 kWh to 173 kWh, so a humidifier varies by 139 kWh between one household and another.
Portable and whole-home humidifiers. That average covers homes with a humidifier — 18% of homes here.
That makes a humidifier about 1% of the electricity a North Carolina home uses. The remaining 12,339 kWh is what a humidifier 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), $13.84; Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, $15.32; Progress Energy Carolinas Inc, $15.49; Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina), $22.56.
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina) charges $8.72 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 159 kWh.
Light and heavy use of a humidifier
A household in the lighter quarter runs a humidifier for 34 kWh a year and pays $2.97 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 173 kWh and pays $15.05 — $12.08 more for a humidifier 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.