Thanks to falling fuel prices, Duke Energy customers will see lower rates in December and January.

Starting Dec. 1, rates began to drop for Duke Energy Progress residential customers, which include most of Raleigh and counties to the east.

Duke Energy said rates fell 4.5% as part of an annual adjustment to the cost of fuel used to generate electricity at the utility’s power plants.

“As the fuel market grows, these costs may increase. If it goes down, we pass those savings on to you,” said Jeff Brooks, a spokesman for Duke Energy.

A typical North Carolina customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see a total decrease of $7.34, or about 4.5% less than previous rates, from $161.97 to $154.63. dollars, Duke Energy said.

The cost is 11% lower than the national average of $174.21.

A similar reduction for Duke Energy Carolinas customers in Durham and Chapel Hill will take effect Jan. 1, when rates for residential customers will drop by 3.6%.

Commercial customers will benefit from an average decline of approximately 6.3%, while industrial customers will see an average decline of less than 0.1%.

WRAL News spoke with customers about what they think of the price cut.

“It’s definitely going to be good,” said Blake Murray, a Duke Energy Progress customer. “Because you definitely spend more money on other things during the holidays, it’s always a good thing to save some money somewhere.”

Rae Gaffney said her bill is too high for living in such a small space and relief would be welcome.

“It’s too high,” she said. “It’s probably about $170. I live in a condominium right downtown. So it’s too expensive.”

In 2023, Duke Energy proposed rate increases that would occur gradually over three years.

Jeff Brooks, a spokesman for Duke Energy, said the additional revenue from higher rates would go toward strengthening the electric grid and transitioning to clean energy.

In February, North Carolina’s attorney general, current Gov. Josh Stein, appealed the rate increase, saying Duke Energy should not increase rates for North Carolina customers as much as planned.

If the proposed increase goes through, the average Duke Energy customer statewide would pay about $20 a month, or $240 a year, Stein said.

WRAL News has reached out to the North Carolina Department of Corrections for an update on the appeal and the status of the tax rate increase proposal.

WRAL News offers tips for lowering your electric bill, including raising or lowering the temperature 7 to 10 degrees when you’re sleeping or away from home, switching to LED bulbs and cutting your shower time by a few minutes.