Average Utility Costs in North Carolina

Typical monthly utility costs in North Carolina are about $239.24/mo, based on 1,000 kWh of electricity and 5,000 gallons of water (plus sewer and trash where available). Compare North Carolina cities below to find cheaper vs more expensive areas.

Average Monthly Utility Costs in North Carolina

The average utility bill in North Carolina is estimated at $239.24 per month, a typical total assembled from median city estimates for electricity, water, sewer, and trash. To reflect a more typical bill across cities (and reduce the impact of outliers), these "average" values use the median of city estimates.

Electric (1,000 kWh)

$143.39

Median of city estimates; each city uses its serving provider's rate.

Water (5,000 gal)

$36.58

Median of non-$0 cities

Sewer

$44.28

Median of non-$0 cities

Trash

$15.00

Median of non-$0 cities

Typical total (assembled from medians)

$239.24

Alternate view: Median of city totals: $246.46

See full North Carolina city comparison →•How we calculate estimates →

Assumptions: 1,000 kWh/month and 5,000 gallons/month (where applicable). "Average" values represent the median city estimate; water/sewer/trash medians exclude $0 entries when service or published rates vary by address. Actual bills vary by usage, fees, and provider.

Check Internet pricing & availability in North Carolina

Internet service varies widely—many providers, different plans, introductory offers, and bundles make it hard to compare apples to apples. That's why we don't estimate internet on this page like we do for electric, water, sewer, and trash. Use our tool to compare providers for your address or ZIP code.

Check providers by zip or address

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Duke Energy territories & how NC electric bills work

Duke Energy Carolinas vs. Duke Energy Progress

North Carolina has two main Duke Energy territories: Duke Energy Carolinas (serving the Charlotte area, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and much of the central and western part of the state) and Duke Energy Progress (serving the Raleigh-Durham area and eastern North Carolina). Each has its own approved rates and riders, so electric at 1,000 kWh can differ slightly between territories even though both are Duke utilities.

What "typical bill at 1,000 kWh" means

The NC Public Staff publishes typical monthly bills at 1,000 kWh for each regulated utility. We use those benchmarks so you can compare cities on a level playing field. Your actual bill will vary with usage, seasonal rates, fuel and rider adjustments, and any demand or time-of-use charges that apply to your rate schedule.

Why two Duke-served cities can still show different totals

Even when two cities are in the same Duke territory, total utility costs differ because water, sewer, and trash are set by each city or county. So the electric portion may be similar at 1,000 kWh, but the full bill reflects local water/sewer/trash rates and fees.

Top electric providers in the North Carolina cities we cover

Duke dominates much of the state, but municipal utilities and co-ops can create meaningful differences in city-level electric costs. These providers appear most often in the North Carolina cities currently in our dataset.

Duke Energy Carolinas

investor owned utility

Serves 6 covered North Carolina cities.

Example cities: Concord, Asheville, Gastonia and 3 more.

Duke Energy Progress

investor owned utility

Serves 6 covered North Carolina cities.

Example cities: Cary, Wilmington, Jacksonville and 3 more.

Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC)

municipal utility

Serves 1 covered North Carolina city.

Example cities: Fayetteville

North Carolina cities to compare first

Start with the largest covered metros if you're comparing utility costs across North Carolina or evaluating a move. These city pages represent the biggest provider territories and the widest range of local water, sewer, and trash setups.

Fayetteville

Cumberland County • Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC)