Customers of Duke Energy Carolinas in North Carolina would pay $9.39 more a month starting January 1, 2027, if state regulators approve a settlement the utility reached with the state’s Public Staff. The rate case is still pending, and the new rates are not in effect.
The figure is for a typical home, and the settlement cuts what Duke first asked for. Here is what the deal says, who signed it and what could happen next.
What would the January bill look like?
WBTV in Charlotte reported on July 14 that a typical Duke Energy Carolinas residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month would see the bill go from $156.81 to $166.20, an increase of $9.39, on January 1, 2027. A further $5.52 increase would follow on January 1, 2028.
WBTV put the percentages at 7.5% for residential rates in 2027 and 4.1% in 2028, a combined 11.6%. A household that uses more than 1,000 kWh would pay more than the typical figure, and one that uses less would pay less.
How does it compare with Duke’s first request?
In April, Duke sought increases totaling up to 18% over two years. WBTV reported that the earlier proposal would have added roughly $17 a month in 2027 and another $6.34 in 2028.
Duke Energy’s announcement of the agreement puts the settled increase at an average annual 3.7% over two years. Kendal Bowman, Duke Energy’s North Carolina president, said that in light of the cost pressures customers are facing, the company felt it had to do more.
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Against the first proposal, the settled 2027 increase is about $7.61 a month smaller, and the 2028 step is about 82 cents smaller. Not everyone is satisfied. Tim Wilcox, a customer from Lincolnton quoted by WBTV, said families are struggling with inflation and rising costs, while a Duke spokesperson called the deal “a meaningful compromise.”
Who signed the settlement, and who decides?
Duke says the settlement was reached with the North Carolina Public Staff, the Carolina Industrial Group for Fair Utility Rates, the Carolina Utility Customers Association, the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association and Walmart. It adds that others are expected to join.
The North Carolina Utilities Commission has the final say, and the new rates apply only if it approves them. The state attorney general’s office, which has been fighting the increase on behalf of families, said in June that a decision is expected this fall. Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office framed that fight as an effort to save North Carolina families nearly $1.4 billion on Duke Energy Carolinas bills, according to the attorney general’s page on the case.
Is there help for customers who cannot absorb it?
Duke says its shareholders will contribute $10 million to low-income bill assistance and weatherization programs, on top of existing funding. The release does not say how the money would be divided or how customers would apply.
Weatherization work, such as sealing leaks and adding insulation, lowers the kilowatt-hours a home uses, and a smaller monthly total shrinks the effect of any per-kilowatt-hour increase. Older homeowners on a fixed income feel a $9.39 monthly jump differently from a working household. That is $112.68 over twelve months, before the $5.52 step in 2028.
What happens if the commission changes the numbers?
A commission can approve the settlement as written, change it or reject it. The $9.39 is the figure under the deal as reported on July 14, and it holds only if the commission signs off on that deal.
Anyone served by Duke Energy Carolinas can follow the case through the North Carolina Utilities Commission, which posts filings and orders. The bill that arrives in January is the one that tells the final story.
Will the Duke bill be $166.20 in January, and what help applies?
If the settlement is approved, a typical Duke Energy Carolinas home pays $9.39 more a month from January 1, 2027, and $5.52 more a month the year after, and a household that misses a heating or power-bill program’s window pays the full amount.
The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit covers heating, cooling and home-repair help for older homeowners, and it includes an application log and renewal calendar so each program’s dates and renewals are tracked in one place. Part 5, “Utilities and Home Costs,” is the section on heat and power bills.
Get the power-bill help guide and renewal calendar before the January rates →
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
