In short: In the Triangle your bill depends on which Duke company serves you. Duke Energy Progress, the Raleigh-area utility, averaged 15.54¢ per kWh for homes in 2024, against 13.94¢ for Duke Energy Carolinas, which serves Durham. Apex’s town-owned utility averaged 10.52¢. Wake County is rated “Relatively High” for nine weather hazards (FEMA).
This page covers Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Apex and Chapel Hill. Statewide rules (Duke Energy’s solar rates, licensing, the property tax exclusion) are on our North Carolina energy guide.
Raleigh-Durham at a glance
- Duke Energy Progress (Raleigh region): 15.54¢/kWh average for homes in 2024; a typical 1,000 kWh bill was $165.66 in January 2026 (NC Utilities Commission). Outages in 2024: 1,803 minutes per North Carolina customer with major events (about 30 hours), 141 minutes without.
- Duke Energy Carolinas (Durham): 13.94¢/kWh in 2024; a typical 1,000 kWh bill was $144.82 in January 2026. Outages: 1,626 minutes with major events, 168 without.
- Town of Apex (town-owned): 10.52¢/kWh in 2024; 116 minutes of outages with major events, 36 without.
- Cooperatives: Wake Electric (13.42¢; 166 and 108 minutes) and Piedmont Electric (15.60¢; 398 and 170 minutes) serve parts of Wake, Durham and Orange counties.
- Sun: about 4.47 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,306 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards (FEMA National Risk Index): Wake County’s overall risk is “Relatively High”, with cold waves, hail, heat waves, hurricanes, ice storms, lightning, inland flooding, tornadoes and winter weather all “Relatively High”. Durham County: ice storms, lightning, strong wind, tornadoes and winter weather “Relatively High”.
- Public charging: 562 ports in Raleigh, 336 in Durham, 230 in Cary, 119 in Chapel Hill and 53 in Apex, about 1,300 in all (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Prices are 2024 averages (home revenue divided by home sales, EIA-861), so they include fixed charges. Outage minutes are utility-wide across North Carolina; Duke’s 2024 numbers include Hurricane Helene, which hit the mountains far harder than the Triangle.
Your utility and what it means
Both Duke companies have customers in Wake, Durham and Orange counties, so a neighbor across town may be on a different rate. Check the company name on your bill.
- Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas: new home solar goes on Duke’s North Carolina solar rates (see our state page); the Net Metering Bridge rate closes to new applicants on December 31, 2026. Duke Energy Progress had about 24,100 net-metered home solar systems in North Carolina at the end of 2024 (EIA). 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.
- Town of Apex: Apex runs its own electric utility with its own solar riders, so Duke’s solar rates do not apply. It had about 1,090 net-metered home solar systems at the end of 2024 (EIA). The Town’s website was unreachable when we checked, so ask Apex Electric for its current solar and battery rules.
- Wake Electric and Piedmont Electric: cooperatives set their own solar credits and programs. Wake Electric reported 796 net-metered home solar systems at the end of 2024, 100 of them with a battery (EIA). Ask your co-op what it credits for exported energy.
Backup power in Raleigh-Durham
The Triangle sits between the coast and the Piedmont, and FEMA’s ratings show it: hurricanes and ice storms both rate “Relatively High” for Wake County. In an ordinary year Duke customers were without power for about two and a half to three hours; storms push that far higher. Plan for two kinds of outage: a summer storm, when food, fans and a sump pump matter, and an ice storm, when heat does.
- Apartments, townhomes and short outages: a portable power station covers phones, Wi-Fi, a CPAP and a fridge for a while.
- Houses: a home battery switches over silently and pairs with solar; a standby generator on natural gas covers multi-day outages.
- Safety: portable generators outdoors only, 20 feet or more from the house, exhaust away from openings, never in a garage (CPSC); carbon monoxide alarms on every level; a transfer switch or interlock installed by a licensed electrician with a permit.
See our backup power guide, the battery backup calculator, the generator sizing calculator and generator installation.
Solar in Raleigh-Durham
A rough estimate: a 7 kW system at about 1,306 kWh per kW makes roughly 9,100 kWh a year. Valued at Duke Energy Progress’ 2024 average of 15.54¢, that is up to about $1,420 a year; at Duke Energy Carolinas’ 13.94¢, about $1,270. Both are upper bounds, because Duke credits exported energy at much less than retail, so the more you use yourself, the closer you get. Apex and co-op customers need their own utility’s numbers.
Raleigh makes the paperwork easier than most: the City says most rooftop systems on one- and two-family homes qualify for same-day online permits. Try our solar potential tool, then read solar panel cost and solar installation.
Batteries
With Duke’s time-of-use solar rate, storing midday solar for the evening is worth more than exporting it, and a battery carries you through storm outages without fuel. If you are on Duke Energy Progress, the higher price makes each self-used kWh worth a little more. A battery without solar works for backup too. See home battery installation, home battery cost and solar battery storage.
EV charging
The five Triangle cities on our list have about 1,300 public charging ports, 226 of them DC fast. At home, a labelled estimate at about 30 kWh per 100 miles: $4.66 per 100 miles on Duke Energy Progress’ 2024 average (about $560 a year for 12,000 miles), $4.18 on Duke Energy Carolinas’ (about $500), and $3.16 on Apex’s (about $380).
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Raleigh: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Raleigh requires a permit and an inspection for a home charging station; residential submittals include a permit application, a survey of the property and the charger’s cut sheets. 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
- Raleigh: the City’s residential solar permit page lists same-day online permitting for most rooftop systems, a signed and sealed letter from a design professional after an on-site check, and lets rooftop solar exceed zoning height limits by up to 12 feet. EV chargers: see the City’s charging station permit page.
- Durham (city and county): the City-County Building & Safety Department publishes solar PV permitting requirements (revised August 2025): plans showing the array, wiring and disconnects, engineer-stamped, submitted through its Dplans portal.
- Cary: the Town’s Inspections & Permits office issues building and electrical permits.
- Apex, Chapel Hill and unincorporated areas: ask your town or county inspections office which one covers your address.
- Who does the work: a licensed electrical contractor for any solar system in North Carolina, a licensed gas contractor for generator gas lines, and HOA approval first where your neighborhood has one.
Cities we cover
- Raleigh
- Durham
- Cary
- Apex
- Chapel Hill
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Raleigh-Durham energy FAQ
Is Raleigh on Duke Energy Progress or Duke Energy Carolinas?
Duke Energy describes Duke Energy Progress as serving the Raleigh region and Duke Energy Carolinas as serving Durham, but both companies have customers in Wake, Durham and Orange counties. Apex has a town-owned utility, and Wake Electric and Piedmont Electric serve rural edges. Your bill shows which you have.
Why is my Duke bill higher than my friend’s in Durham?
Likely because you are on Duke Energy Progress. Its typical 1,000 kWh home bill was $165.66 in January 2026, against $144.82 for Duke Energy Carolinas (NC Utilities Commission). The two companies have separate rates, set in separate rate cases.
How fast can I get a solar permit in Raleigh?
The City of Raleigh says most rooftop systems on one- and two-family homes are eligible for same-day online permitting through its Permit Portal, with a signed and sealed letter from a design professional. Your utility’s interconnection approval is separate and usually takes longer.
Does Apex have net metering?
Apex runs its own electric utility with its own solar riders, separate from Duke’s rates. We could not reach the Town’s website to confirm the current terms, so ask Apex Electric before you sign a solar contract.
Sources
Utility areas, prices, outages and home solar counts: EIA-861, 2024 data. Typical bills: NC Utilities Commission overview, January 2026. Service areas: Duke Energy news releases, January and December 2024. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Charging ports: AFDC Station Locator, October 3, 2026. Permits: City of Raleigh, Durham City-County Building & Safety (August 2025), Town of Cary. Generator safety: CPSC. Checked October 3, 2026.