In short: Most Triad homes are on Duke Energy Carolinas (13.94¢ per kWh on average in 2024), but High Point runs its own utility: cheaper power (11.63¢) and few outages, yet no net metering, with solar credited at about 4¢ per kWh. Ice storms are the Triad’s top hazard, rated “Very High” for Guilford and Forsyth counties.
This page covers Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point. Statewide rules (Duke Energy’s solar rates, licensing, the property tax exclusion) are in our North Carolina energy guide.
The Triad at a glance
- Duke Energy Carolinas (Greensboro, Winston-Salem): 13.94¢/kWh average for homes in 2024; a typical 1,000 kWh bill was $144.82 in January 2026 (NC Utilities Commission). Outages in 2024: 1,626 minutes per North Carolina customer with major events, 168 without.
- City of High Point (city-owned): 11.63¢/kWh in 2024; just 79 minutes of outages per customer with major events and 65 without.
- EnergyUnited (cooperative): serves parts of Guilford and Forsyth counties; 11.54¢/kWh; 424 minutes with major events, 124 without.
- Sun: about 4.34 kWh per square meter per day in Greensboro and 4.30 in Winston-Salem (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020), a little less than Charlotte or Raleigh. Our rough estimate: about 1,260 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index): ice storms “Very High” in both Guilford and Forsyth; cold waves, lightning, inland flooding and winter weather “Relatively High” in both, plus strong wind in Forsyth.
- Public charging: 180 ports in Greensboro (56 DC fast), 87 in Winston-Salem (42 DC fast) and 22 in High Point (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Prices are 2024 averages (home revenue divided by home sales, EIA-861) and include fixed charges. Duke’s outage minutes cover all its North Carolina customers, in a year that included Hurricane Helene in the mountains.
Your utility and what it means
- Duke Energy Carolinas: Duke describes the Triad as part of its Duke Energy Carolinas area (some Guilford County addresses are on Duke Energy Progress, so check your bill). New home solar goes on Duke’s North Carolina solar rates, explained on our state page; the Net Metering Bridge rate closes to new applicants on December 31, 2026. Duke announced a Charger Prep Credit in 2022 of up to $1,133 toward the wiring for a home Level 2 charger; we could not confirm it is still open in 2026, so ask Duke.
- City of High Point: its Solar Panel FAQs say homes may install up to 10 kW (DC) of panels on a “Buy-All Sell-All” connection: the City credits every kWh your panels produce at its payback rate, $0.04041 per kWh when we checked, and you keep buying all the power you use at the normal rate. High Point does not offer net metering.
- EnergyUnited: sets its own solar credits and programs; it reported 656 net-metered home solar systems at the end of 2024, 80 with a battery (EIA). Ask the co-op for current terms.
Backup power in Greensboro and Winston-Salem
The Triad’s weather risk is mostly a winter story. FEMA rates ice storms “Very High” in both counties, with cold waves and winter weather close behind. Freezing rain coats trees and lines across the whole region at once, and the outage comes when the house needs heat. Summer thunderstorms and lightning, also rated “Relatively High”, cause the shorter outages.
- Heat first: a gas furnace or heat pump needs power for its fan and controls. Size any backup to include them; our generator sizing calculator and battery backup calculator help.
- Options: a portable power station for phones, lights and the fridge; a home battery for silent automatic backup; a standby generator on natural gas for multi-day ice-storm outages.
- Safety: never run a generator in a garage or near windows; outdoors only, at least 20 feet away, exhaust pointed away (CPSC); carbon monoxide alarms on every level; a licensed electrician installs the transfer switch or interlock with a permit.
Compare the choices in our backup power guide and see generator installation.
Solar in the Triad
For Duke Energy Carolinas customers, a rough estimate: a 7 kW system in Greensboro at about 1,266 kWh per kW makes roughly 8,900 kWh a year, worth up to about $1,235 a year if every kWh replaced power at 13.94¢. Duke credits exported energy at much less than retail, so that is a ceiling, not a forecast.
High Point is a very different case. Under Buy-All Sell-All, the same 7 kW system would earn about $358 a year (8,900 kWh at $0.04041), because none of it offsets your bill at the retail price. Solar there is hard to justify on savings alone; backup or a battery may matter more. Check the numbers with our solar savings calculator and see solar panel cost and solar installation.
Batteries
For Duke customers on the time-of-use solar rate, a battery shifts midday solar to the evening and keeps the heat and fridge running in an ice-storm outage. In High Point, a battery’s case is backup, not bill savings; High Point’s solar FAQ does not cover batteries, so ask the City before connecting one. See home battery installation and home battery cost.
EV charging
Greensboro has the most public charging in the Triad: 180 ports at 48 locations. At home, a labelled estimate at about 30 kWh per 100 miles: about $4.18 per 100 miles at Duke Energy Carolinas’ 2024 average (about $500 a year for 12,000 miles), or about $3.49 in High Point (about $420).
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Greensboro: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit installed by a licensed electrician with a permit. The federal 30C charger credit ended for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026. See EV charger installation and our EV charging cost calculator.
Permits and inspections
- Greensboro: the City’s solar panel installation page says solar needs City building and electrical permits and inspections, that the installer handles them, and that work follows the NC Department of Insurance’s rooftop solar inspection procedure. You can follow the permit by address online.
- Winston-Salem and Forsyth County: the Inspections Division permits building and electrical work in the city and county (except Kernersville). Its solar page says a solar system must be inspected and approved by an electrical inspector and the utility before it operates, and to get HOA approval first.
- High Point: the City’s permits office issues permits through its Accela Citizen Access portal. Solar also needs High Point’s own utility approval.
- Who does the work: a licensed electrical contractor for any solar system in North Carolina, a licensed gas contractor for generator gas lines.
Cities we cover
- Greensboro
- Winston-Salem
- High Point
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Triad energy FAQ
Does High Point have net metering?
No. The City of High Point says it does not offer net metering. Homes can install up to 10 kW (DC) of solar on a Buy-All Sell-All connection, credited at $0.04041 per kWh produced when we checked, while all the power the home uses is bought at the normal rate. Ask the City for the current payback rate.
Who provides electricity in Greensboro and Winston-Salem?
Mostly Duke Energy Carolinas. High Point has a city-owned utility that also reaches into Forsyth County, EnergyUnited and Surry-Yadkin EMC serve rural parts, and some Guilford County addresses are on Duke Energy Progress. Your bill tells you which.
What is the biggest outage risk in the Triad?
Ice. FEMA’s National Risk Index rates ice storms “Very High” for both Guilford and Forsyth counties, with cold waves and winter weather “Relatively High”. Make sure any backup plan powers your furnace fan or heat pump controls, not only the fridge.
Who issues solar permits in Winston-Salem?
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division, for the city and the county outside Kernersville. Your licensed contractor usually applies, and the system must pass the electrical inspection and get utility approval before it is switched on.
Sources
Utility areas, prices, outages and home solar counts: EIA-861, 2024 data. Typical bill: NC Utilities Commission overview, January 2026. Service area: Duke Energy news release, January 2024. High Point solar terms: City of High Point Solar Panel FAQs. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Charging ports: AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026. Permits: City of Greensboro, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division, City of High Point. Generator safety: CPSC. Checked October 3, 2026.