RS: Residential Service
Effective 2026-09-01. Fixed charge $14.00/month.
| Period | Price |
|---|---|
| All hours | 14.2¢ |
Typical customer: Close call
Duke Energy Carolinas and solar
Duke Energy Carolinas is an investor-owned utility serving about 2,543,170 homes in North Carolina, South Carolina. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 14.2¢4% below North Carolina average
- Typical bill
- $1431,009 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- 3.5¢Net billing (reduced export credit)
- Typical payback
- 14.8 yrs6.8 kW, cash
Export rules for Duke Energy Carolinas customers
Net billing (reduced export credit) — about 3.5¢ per exported kWh, monthly netting.
RSC with TOU-CPP; Bridge until 1/1/2027.
Rider RSC (Residential Solar Choice, NCUC E-7 Sub 1333): imports/exports netted monthly within each TOU period; net excess per period credited at fixed Net Excess Energy Credit; $0.99/kW-DC/mo non-bypassable charge; grid access fee $2.05/kW above 15 kW; $22 minimum bill
Solar for a typical Duke Energy Carolinas home
| System | 6.8 kW (80% of 1,009 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $19,480 |
| First-year savings | $1,342 |
| Payback | 14.8 years |
| 25-year net | $16,283 |
Uses the utility's average price; time-of-use plans can change this, so pick your plan in the calculator.
Current residential rate plans
Rates we verified from Duke Energy Carolinas's tariff documents. Prices are per kWh including the main riders where noted; check your bill for the plan you're on.
RSTC: Residential Service Time of Use with Critical Peak Pricing (required with Rider RSC)
Plan for solar customers. Effective 2026-09-01. Fixed charge $14.00/month.
| Period | Price |
|---|---|
| 6pm–9pm (5 months) | 25.4¢ |
| 1am–6am (5 months) | 9.4¢ |
| 12am–1am, 6am–6pm, 9pm–12am (5 months) | 12.2¢ |
| 6am–9am (7 months) | 25.4¢ |
| 1am–3am, 11am–4pm (7 months) | 9.4¢ |
| 12am–1am, 3am–6am, 9am–11am, 4pm–12am (7 months) | 12.2¢ |
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 39,946
- Share of customers
- 1.6%
- Residential solar capacity
- 293 MW
- Residential customers
- 2,543,170
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Duke Energy Carolinas and solar
Does Duke Energy Carolinas have net metering?
RSC with TOU-CPP; Bridge until 1/1/2027. Exported power is credited at about 3.5¢ per kWh.
How much does electricity cost with Duke Energy Carolinas?
Residential customers paid an average of 13.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 14.2¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,009 kWh a month, a bill of about $143.
Is solar worth it with Duke Energy Carolinas?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 6.8 kW system costing about $19,480 pays back in about 14.8 years, with $16,283 net over 25 years.
How many Duke Energy Carolinas customers have solar?
About 39,946 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.6% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (EIA ID 5416). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026, utility tariff sheets.