Residents in Dare County, NC who request quotes on the EnergySage Marketplace spend an average of $193 monthly on electricity. That adds up to $2,316 per year. A different way to look at it is that a typical Dare County, NC resident uses 1,572 kWh of electricity per month and 18,864 kWh over the year.
(For what it’s worth: Dare County, NC residents shopping for solar on EnergySage may use more electricity than a typical household.)
The easiest way to compare electricity costs across regions is to look at the electricity rate. In the U.S., residential rates generally range from 11 ¢/kWh all the way up to 34 ¢/kWh.
As of February 2026, the cost of electricity in Dare County, NC is 12 ¢/kilowatt-hour (kWh)—roughly 38% lower than the national average cost. That number is based on real-world electric bills shared with EnergySage over the past 12 months. You can compare that number to the most recent average state electric price reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
North Carolina’s electricity market is regulated, which means you can’t choose which company supplies your electricity. Instead, the state determines your electric utility company based on where you live. There are three main utility companies in North Carolina, all of which are Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs), meaning they're private for-profit companies:
Duke Energy Progress
Duke Energy Carolinas
Dominion Energy North Carolina
While the IOUs cover much of the state, some towns and cities are served by municipally-owned, not-for-profit electric companies that aren't subject to the same requirements as IOUs. These municipal utilities may offer lower rates, but may not offer net metering programs.
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When you pay your electric bill, you’re not only covering the costs to produce that electricity, but also the costs of running and maintaining the electrical grid, as well as public benefit funds that promote things like renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Electric bill costs are rolled into fixed (monthly customer charges) and variable charges (¢/kWh that you use).
Fixed charges, like the flat fee for having a meter, generally remain the same monthly unless your utility makes a policy update.
Your variable charges will change every month and depend on your electricity rate and how much electricity you use.
Your electric bill's variable charges will include a supply (or generation) charge and a transmission and distribution (or delivery) charge. The supply charge covers the cost of electricity generation, while the transmission and distribution charges cover the cost of delivering it to your home.
In North Carolina, most utility companies allow residents to sign up for variable-rate plans, like time-of-use (TOU) rates or demand response plans. These plans offer different incentives if you limit your electricity use during peak times of the day or season.
How clean is the electricity in North Carolina?
Due to the complexity of utility grids, it's not easy to get precise data regarding exactly where the energy that goes to your specific home comes from, but according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about 54% of the electricity on North Carolina’s utility grid comes from fossil fuels—primarily natural gas—as of August 2025.
Only about 15% comes from renewable sources. Given that over half of the grid’s energy comes from fossil fuels, installing a home solar panel system in North Carolina will almost always shrink your carbon footprint.
Some electricity suppliers give you the option to pay a bit more so that most (or even all) of your electricity comes from renewable sources. If you’re unwilling or unable to go solar in North Carolina but still want to reduce your carbon footprint, this is a great alternative. It just won’t save you any money in most cases.
As long as you have a suitable roof, one of the surest ways to save on energy is to go solar—ideally with a vetted contractor offering a competitive price.
Solar panels will reduce or even eliminate your electric bills in the short term and protect you against rising electricity costs in the long run, too. The amount you save depends on how much you spend on electricity now and how much of your electric bill you can offset with solar energy.
Solar panels are a big investment, but Dare County, NC homeowners who install them—and pay upfront—break even after an average of just 12.36 years. Then, the solar panels will continue to produce free electricity for years to come.
Does North Carolina offer net metering?
On sunny days, your solar panels usually generate more electricity than your home needs at any given moment.
But in some areas of North Carolina, that extra energy doesn't go to waste. Some utility companies offer net metering, a solar buyback program that gives you energy credits for all the solar power you send to the grid. When you need to draw electricity from the grid (like at night), your utility company deducts it from your banked credits instead of charging you. It doesn’t matter when you produce the power. Instead, under the current rules, it only matters how much solar power you produce throughout the entire year.
If you get your electricity from Dominion Energy, you can take advantage of net metering. But if you use Duke Energy, and your installer applied for interconnection before 2023, you can be grandfathered into net metering until 2027. If not, you won’t have access.
How much can you save with solar?
Between rising electricity rates, state tax exemptions, and potential rebates, you can save big when you go solar in Dare County, NC.
Just take a look at how much you'll spend on electricity over time based on your current bill. It’s easy to see how going solar can pay off quickly.
Electricity cost over time in North Carolina
Current monthly electric bill | 10-year electricity cost | 20-year electricity cost | 30-year electricity cost |
|---|---|---|---|
$50 | $6,700 | $15,000 | $26,000 |
$100 | $13,000 | $31,000 | $53,000 |
$150 | $20,000 | $46,000 | $79,000 |
$200 | $27,000 | $61,000 | $110,000 |
$250 | $34,000 | $77,000 | $130,000 |
Assuming a 3% annual increase based on inflation and average annual electric rate increases in North Carolina.
Let's assume you pay $193 for electricity monthly (the Dare County, NC average) and that electricity prices increase by 3% annually. Let's also assume you buy your solar panel system upfront and that it costs you $26,000 before any available incentives.
In the first year with solar, you'll avoid spending $2,300 on electric bills. Over five years, you'll avoid $12,100; by 10 years, you'll have avoided $25,900. Solar panels are usually covered under warranty for 25 years—by then, you'll have avoided spending $78,900 on electric bills in Dare County, NC.
The average payback period in Dare County, NC is 12.36 years, so by this point, you've already broken even on your investment. When you subtract your upfront installation cost, you'll pocket $52,800 over 25 years with solar.
Your solar savings depend on you
How much your utility company charges for electricity is a big indicator of how much you'll save with solar. But your exact solar savings depend on your unique situation—including your energy usage, roof layout, system size, and how you pay for your system.
Here are some reasons your savings could be below average:
You don’t use much electricity, or your roof is small or has a less-than-ideal layout. You might have a relatively long payback period, so you'll save a little less over time.
You don't install enough solar panels to 100% offset your energy use. You’ll pay less up front but save less in the long run.
You finance your solar panel system with a loan or sign a lease or power purchase agreement (PPA) instead of paying up front. These types of arrangements can make a lot of sense for keeping your capital flexible and will allow you to start saving sooner. But they will cut into your long-term savings.
Choosing a high-quality solar installer is the key to getting a top-notch solar panel system that will help you save on electric bills.
We pre-screen all solar companies on EnergySage to ensure they get the job done right. Here are the highest-rated EnergySage installers in Dare County, NC:
Elite+ InstallerScreened & Verified5.0 /5.0151 Reviews
Elite InstallerScreened & Verified4.5 /5.0525 Reviews
Advanced InstallerScreened & Verified5.0 /5.046 Reviews
Approved InstallerScreened & Verified5.0 /5.0365 Reviews
Approved InstallerScreened & Verified5.0 /5.07 Reviews
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