Higher electricity bills are straining Americans’ grocery budgets, according to a Consumer Reports investigation released Wednesday, as North Carolina regulators consider rate increases proposed by Duke Energy.
About 1 in 5 Americans reported cutting back on groceries, switching to less expensive foods, or considering these changes to pay an electric bill. Among people who had lived in the same home for at least three years, 81% said their electricity bills had increased during that time.
“You can’t control rising costs yourself,” said Sara Enright, senior director of security and energy at Consumer Reports.
The nationally representative survey of 2,003 U.S. adults highlights the pressure on households already struggling to save. Understanding which fees are increasing can help identify potential savings, while a recently launched Triangle partnership aims to make upgrades and discounts easier to navigate.
Breaking down your electricity bill
According to Consumer Reports, 38% of Americans who read their electric bills said they were difficult to understand. For customers in North Carolina, here’s what to check:
- Electricity consumption: Kilowatt hours (kWh) measure consumption. Compare average daily usage with the same period last year, taking into account weather conditions and changes in household routines. Daily averages also take into account billing periods with different numbers of days.
- Fuel costs: The fuel rider adjusts what customers pay for fuel and purchased electricity. It can increase or decrease regardless of a general increase in rates. Lawmakers have changed how some of these costs are distributed among customers, shifting a larger share to households.
- Other adjustments: Duke’s “Summary of Rider Adjustments” combines fees and credits for costs such as energy efficiency programs and certain clean energy purchases. A separate storm recovery fee repays bonds used to finance repairs after major storms.
- Errors or unknown services: Also check equipment charges on your property. I found an erroneous monthly charge of $18.80 on my own Duke bill for a street light that hadn’t worked in years. After contacting Duke, the company waived the fee and issued a refund.
Fuel costs are worth paying attention to, as customers bear these cost changes, while Duke says it makes no profit on fuel. WRAL’s report on a legal challenge to Duke’s fuel costs explains how a 2025 law also expanded the utility’s ability to recover past expenses.
Duke says customers can use several tools to understand changes before the next bill arrives:
- Bill Insights: Available in Duke’s mobile app, the AI-powered feature provides a personalized explanation of monthly costs, including the impact of weather and comparison of usage over time.
- Usage Alerts: Mid-cycle emails show electricity usage to date and project the bill total, giving customers time to adjust.
- Daily and Hourly Tracking: Customers can find peak usage and compare billing periods through Duke’s website or app.
For explanations of individual sections of the invoice, Duke also offers a Read Your Invoice guide.
A new Triangle resource
Electrify the Triangle, launched this month, brings together local governments, community organizations and energy experts, according to Megan Anderson, Raleigh’s sustainability manager. It builds on Solarize the Triangle, which has used group purchasing to reduce solar installation costs.
The expanded effort includes weatherization and other clean energy improvements. Energy navigators will help residents discuss their bills, identify incentives and evaluate options for their home. The partnership also plans to help contractors manage rebate documentation so that these savings can benefit customers.
“There’s a lot for them to understand. The rules change all the time,” Anderson said. “We’re trying to remove those barriers and become the person who will do all the work for them, so it’s easier for them to pass those savings on to residents.”
Anderson said the program aims to help residents plan for improvements as well as those who need to immediately replace broken equipment.
Where to Find Help in North Carolina
Resources vary depending on whether you need to pay a bill now or make improvements that could reduce future costs.
- Find Rebates and Incentives: The NC Clean Energy Technology Center at NC State University maintains DSIRE, a searchable database of renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. Filter for North Carolina, then check individual listing eligibility, participating utilities, and current availability.
- Get help with your home renovation: Energy Saver North Carolina helps eligible homeowners and renters cover improvements like insulation and heating equipment.
- Ask About Bill Assistance: Contact your county Department of Social Services about the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, which provides a one-time annual payment for heating expenses for eligible households, or the Crisis Intervention Program for households facing a heating or cooling crisis.
- Contact your utility: Ask about payment terms and assistance funds, including Duke Energy’s Share the Light Fund. Eligibility and available funding vary.
Consumer Reports released Wednesday’s survey alongside Power Smarter, an initiative collecting utility bills to study prices and support its advocacy for lower costs. Its Bill Decoder project collects utility bills to create a national dataset that the organization plans to use to track prices, investigate the causes of increases and advocate for fairer rates. Participants receive links to savings and support resources.
Consumer Reports is also campaigning against Duke’s proposed rate increase, saying even the revised request would allow excessive profits while raising household bills.
Duke spokeswoman Caroline Fountain said the increase would fund the purchase of poles, wires and technology to prevent outages as North Carolina grows. This growth includes power-hungry data centers, which are helping to increase Duke’s forecast for electricity demand.
“We strive to keep reliability at the lowest possible cost, and that’s why we’ve cut our rate increase proposal by more than half,” Fountain said.
As WRAL reported in August, Duke Energy Progress reached an agreement with state consumer advocates and other groups to reduce its demand. The deal would also return tax credits to customers more quickly and provide refunds if planned upgrades are not completed on time.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson refused to sign the agreement, saying customers would still pay more than Duke needed. State regulators will decide whether to approve or modify the agreement. If approved as proposed, the first increase would take effect on January 1, 2027.
Thursday at 6 p.m.: winter heating could still weigh on household budgets. WRAL looks at changes that could force some families to pay more — with less help — and what they can do now.
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