How much does an electric water heater cost per month in North Carolina?

About $44.22 a month, assuming 3,500 kWh a year at 15.16¢/kWh.

How many kilowatt-hours does an electric water heater use?

Roughly 3,500 kWh a year under these assumptions.

Is that expensive compared with other states?

North Carolina has the 16th cheapest average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs less here than the U.S. average of $641 a year.

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Cost to run an electric water heater in North Carolina (July 2026 rates)

At 15.16¢ per kilowatt-hour — North Carolina's average residential price in July 2026 — running an electric water heater costs $531 a year. That is 17% less than the national average of $641. North Carolina's residential rate is up 13.4% from July 2025, which moves this appliance from $468 to $531 a year.

Per day: $1.45
Per month: $44.22
Per year: $531

Assumption: 3,500 kWh a year. A 50-gallon resistance tank for a household of three or four. This is typically the largest or second-largest electric load in a home without electric heat. Use the calculator to swap in the numbers from your own model.

Related calculators: work out whether a heat-pump water heater pays back.

How North Carolina compares

North Carolina pays 15.16¢/kWh, the 16th cheapest residential electricity of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions EIA reports. For this appliance that works out to $110 less a year than the typical U.S. household pays for the same use. Running the same electric water heater costs $445 a year in Louisiana and $1,680 in Hawaii, so where you live changes this bill by $1,235 a year.

State	Rate	Per month	Per year
Montana	14.99¢	$43.72	$525
Florida	15.03¢	$43.84	$526
North Carolina	15.16¢	$44.22	$531
Kansas	15.27¢	$44.54	$534
South Dakota	15.37¢	$44.83	$538

States ranked by average residential price, cheapest first. See all 51 states for an electric water heater.

What else costs about the same in North Carolina

Electric car$576 a year in NC Hot tub$379 a year in NC Central air conditioner$357 a year in NC

Cutting the number down

A heat-pump water heater does the same job for roughly a third of the electricity, which is why it usually pays back faster than any other upgrade in the house.
Dropping the setpoint from 140 F to 120 F cuts standby losses and scalding risk at once.
An insulating blanket on an older tank pays for itself in a season; check the manufacturer's guidance first.

Questions

How much does an electric water heater cost per month in North Carolina?: About $44.22 a month, assuming 3,500 kWh a year at 15.16¢/kWh.
How many kilowatt-hours does an electric water heater use?: Roughly 3,500 kWh a year under these assumptions.
Is that expensive compared with other states?: North Carolina has the 16th cheapest average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs less here than the U.S. average of $641 a year.