North Carolina energy rates pre-filled from EIA. Estimate your heating cost below, and see the assumptions behind every figure.
Electricity: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, May 2026. That is a single month, not a 2026 annual average — annual state figures are not published until the following year. Natural gas: EIA Natural Gas Monthly residential price, winter average, Dec 2025 – Feb 2026, converted to $/therm. “Lowest running cost” is a calculation from those rates, not a survey of what people own: it is whichever system delivers a unit of heat for the least money in North Carolina, comparing a heat pump at a seasonal COP of 2.8 against a 92% AFUE gas furnace. Rates vary by provider and season.
North Carolina averages 42.1°F in winter. Mild winters (avg 42.1°F) suit a heat pump: at $0.1509/kWh it delivers heat about 15% cheaper than a 92% AFUE gas furnace.
On running cost alone a heat pump wins in North Carolina: about $0.0158 per 1,000 BTU delivered at a seasonal COP of 2.8, against $0.0186 for a 92% AFUE gas furnace — roughly 15% less. It also provides cooling in summer.
North Carolina electricity costs 15.09¢/kWh, about 18% below the US average of 18.44¢/kWh (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, May 2026), which makes electric heating comparatively affordable here.
Compare North Carolina against other states using our heating cost by state index, or use our free heating cost calculator to estimate your monthly spend.
Based on North Carolina EIA rates: 15.09¢/kWh electricity (May 2026), $1.71/therm gas (winter average, Dec 2025 – Feb 2026).
| Heater Type | Small Home | Medium Home | Large Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Resistance | ~$219/mo | ~$365/mo | ~$547/mo |
| Gas Furnace (92% AFUE) | ~$92/mo | ~$153/mo | ~$230/mo |
| Heat Pump (COP 2.8) | ~$78/mo | ~$130/mo | ~$195/mo |
How these are worked out. Whole-home heating for a full winter month, not a plug-in heater. We take North Carolina's 42.1°F average winter temperature, which gives about 687 heating degree days in a 30-day month against a 65°F base, and multiply by a heat-loss coefficient of 300 (small, ~1,000 sq ft), 500 (medium, ~2,000 sq ft) or 750 BTU/hr/°F (large, ~3,000 sq ft) for an average-insulated home. That delivered heat is then priced at the rates above, at the efficiencies shown in each row. Those coefficients are round engineering figures, not measurements — they exist so every page on this site derives monthly cost the same way. A poorly sealed house can easily run double these numbers.
Figures above are calculated from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (May 2026) and EIA residential natural gas prices, using a seasonal COP of 2.8 for a heat pump in North Carolina's climate and 92% AFUE for a modern condensing gas furnace.