What a refrigerator costs to run in North Carolina
North Carolina homes use 847 kWh a year on a refrigerator. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $73.92 to $123.43 a year across 33 published North Carolina plans — a $49.51 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 | $73.92 | — | 9.7¢ |
| Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Three Phasetime-of-use | $73.92 | — | 10.5¢ |
| RT (Residential Service Time of Use)time-of-use · demand charge | $81.72 | +$7.80 | 11.0¢ |
| Residential Time Of Use Schedule (R-TOUD) - Three Phasetime-of-use · demand charge | $82.63 | +$8.71 | 12.1¢ |
| RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing))time-of-use · needs an all-electric home | $89.66 | +$15.74 | 11.9¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Three Phasetime-of-use · demand charge | $93.07 | +$19.15 | 13.3¢ |
| ES (Residential Service Energy Star, All-Electric)time-of-use · tiered · needs an all-electric home | $93.47 | +$19.55 | 12.9¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Single Phasetime-of-use · demand charge | $94.27 | +$20.35 | 12.5¢ |
| RSTC (Residential Service Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)time-of-use | $95.19 | +$21.27 | 12.6¢ |
| RE (Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning)time-of-use · tiered · needs electric heating | $98.16 | +$24.24 | 13.5¢ |
| Residential Service Energy Star All-Electric EStiered · needs an all-electric home | $102.60 | +$28.68 | 12.9¢ |
| ES (Residential Service Energy Star, Standard)flat rate · needs qualifying appliances | $102.84 | +$28.92 | 13.5¢ |
| RS (Residential Service)flat rate | $108.12 | +$34.20 | 14.1¢ |
| Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning - REtiered · needs electric heating | $108.48 | +$34.56 | 13.6¢ |
| Residential Service Energy Star Standard EStiered · needs qualifying appliances | $111.12 | +$37.20 | 13.9¢ |
| Residential Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing (R-TOU-CPP) Single Phasetime-of-use | $113.32 | +$39.40 | 14.9¢ |
| Residential Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing (R-TOU-CPP) Three Phasetime-of-use | $113.32 | +$39.40 | 15.8¢ |
| Residential Time of Use EV(R-TOU-EV) Single Phasetime-of-use · needs an electric vehicle | $114.84 | +$40.92 | 15.1¢ |
| Residential Time of Use EV(R-TOU-EV) Three Phasetime-of-use · needs an electric vehicle | $114.84 | +$40.92 | 15.9¢ |
| Residential Service RB; Closed Ratetiered · closed to new customers | $117.12 | +$43.20 | 14.7¢ |
| Residential - RS (SC)tiered | $117.48 | +$43.56 | 14.6¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use with Critical Peak Pricing(R-TOU-CPP) Single Phasetime-of-use | $117.91 | +$43.99 | 15.3¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use with Critical Peak Pricing(R-TOU-CPP) Three Phasetime-of-use | $117.91 | +$43.99 | 16.2¢ |
| Residential Service - Three Phasetime-of-use · tiered | $119.04 | +$45.12 | 16.9¢ |
| Residential Time of Use (R-TOU) Three Phasetime-of-use | $119.17 | +$45.25 | 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 $123.43 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 $47.09 (Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase), dearest $78.57, a $31.48 spread
- Average — cheapest $73.92 (Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase), dearest $123.43, a $49.51 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $94.10 (Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single Phase), dearest $157.14, a $63.04 spread
What a refrigerator costs here
Across 31 plans priced in North Carolina, a refrigerator adds $73.92 to $123.43 a year — $6.16 to $10.29 a month. The median plan puts a refrigerator at $117.48 a year.
Cheapest for a refrigerator: 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 847 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 847 kWh a year across 473 sampled homes that run one, near the national 839 kWh. The middle half spans 540 kWh to 1,079 kWh, so a refrigerator varies by 539 kWh between one household and another.
Every refrigerator in the home, including a second one in a garage or basement. That average covers homes with a refrigerator — 98% of homes here.
That makes a refrigerator about 7% of the electricity a North Carolina home uses. The remaining 11,651 kWh is what a refrigerator 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), $73.92; Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, $81.72; Progress Energy Carolinas Inc, $82.63; Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina), $117.48.
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina) charges $43.56 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 847 kWh.
Light and heavy use of a refrigerator
A household in the lighter quarter runs a refrigerator for 540 kWh a year and pays $47.09 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 1,079 kWh and pays $94.10 — $47.01 more for a refrigerator 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.