Electricity rates — Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC

A household served by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC using 1,000 kWh a month pays about $1,325.90 a year on the cheapest of 3 generally available plans — RT (Residential Service Time of Use) from Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC. Rates checked September 2, 2026. A further 4 schedules are published but restricted — means-tested, closed to new customers, or needing particular equipment — and they are priced further down.

Every priced plan, 1,000 kWh/mo

Annual cost of each published plan, 1,000 kWh/mo, cheapest first
Plan	Per year	vs cheapest	Effective
RT (Residential Service Time of Use)✓ cheapesttime-of-use · demand charge	$1,325.90	—	11.0¢
RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing))time-of-use · needs an all-electric home	$1,437.90	+$112.00	12.0¢
RSTC (Residential Service Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)time-of-use	$1,515.76	+$189.86	12.6¢
ES (Residential Service Energy Star, All-Electric)time-of-use · tiered · needs an all-electric home	$1,555.19	+$229.29	13.0¢
ES (Residential Service Energy Star, Standard)flat rate · needs qualifying appliances	$1,625.04	+$299.14	13.5¢
RE (Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning)time-of-use · tiered · needs electric heating	$1,625.08	+$299.18	13.5¢
RS (Residential Service)flat rate	$1,698.72	+$372.82	14.2¢

Cost across usage levels

The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.

500 kWh/mo — cheapest $746.96 (RT (Residential Service Time of Use)), dearest $933.36, a $186.40 spread
1,000 kWh/mo — cheapest $1,325.90 (RT (Residential Service Time of Use)), dearest $1,698.72, a $372.82 spread
2,000 kWh/mo — cheapest $2,483.88 (RT (Residential Service Time of Use)), dearest $3,229.32, a $745.44 spread

At a glance

Plans priced: 7
Utilities: 1
Cheapest, 1,000 kWh/mo: $1,325.90
Spread: $372.82/yr

Low confidence

North CarolinaState overview
ZIP 28280Where these plans were found
Electric space heating in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
Air conditioning in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
Electric water heater in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
Refrigerator in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
Separate freezer in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
Electric stove and oven in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
Microwave in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
Washing machine in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
Electric clothes dryer in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
Dishwasher in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
Lighting in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
TVs and streaming devices in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here
Ceiling fans in North CarolinaWhat it costs to run here

What a typical bill costs

At 1,000 kWh a month the 7 priceable plans here run from $1,325.90 on RT (Residential Service Time of Use) to $1,698.72 on RS (Residential Service), with a median of $1,515.76.

The spread is $372.82 a year — about $31.07 a month for identical electricity.

Effective rates, bill divided by kilowatt-hours, span 11.0¢ to 14.2¢ per kWh at that usage.

How the answer changes with usage

RT (Residential Service Time of Use) is cheapest at every level tested — $746.96 a year at 500 kWh a month, $2,483.88 at 2,000 kWh.

The penalty for a poor choice grows with usage: $186.40 a year at 500 kWh against $745.44 at 2,000 kWh.

Cheapest 6 plans at 1,000 kWh a month

RT (Residential Service Time of Use) — $1,325.90 a year, 11.0¢ per kWh effective, time-of-use and demand-charged. It carries a $14.00 monthly standing charge.

RETC (Residential Service All-Electric Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing)) — $1,437.90 a year, 12.0¢ per kWh effective, time-of-use. It carries a $14.00 monthly standing charge.

RSTC (Residential Service Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing) — $1,515.76 a year, 12.6¢ per kWh effective, time-of-use. It carries a $14.00 monthly standing charge.

ES (Residential Service Energy Star, All-Electric) — $1,555.19 a year, 13.0¢ per kWh effective, tiered and time-of-use. It carries a $14.00 monthly standing charge.

ES (Residential Service Energy Star, Standard) — $1,625.04 a year, 13.5¢ per kWh effective, flat rate. It carries a $14.00 monthly standing charge.

RE (Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning) — $1,625.08 a year, 13.5¢ per kWh effective, tiered and time-of-use. It carries a $14.00 monthly standing charge.

How these plans are structured

Of 7 priceable plans: 2 tiered, 5 time-of-use, 1 with demand charges, 2 flat-rate.

Every plan carries a $14.00 fixed monthly charge.

Who provides these plans

Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC was found serving Charlotte, North Carolina. 7 of its 7 published residential schedules can be priced.

The largest saving available here

Moving from RS (Residential Service) to RT (Residential Service Time of Use) saves $372.82 a year at 1,000 kWh a month, with no change in consumption.

What this does not cover

5 of these plans price by hour. WattClear does not know which hours a household uses, so those estimates carry lower confidence and say so on the figure.

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.