Starting Dec. 1, rates for Duke Energy Progress residential customers in North Carolina fell by 4.5% as part of an annual adjustment for the cost of fuel used to generate electricity at the utility’s power plants.

A typical residential customer in North Carolina using 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month will see an overall decrease of $7.34, or about 4.5% lower than prior rates, falling from $161.97 to $154.63. That is 11% below the national average of $174.21 – a difference of approximately $235 per year.

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

Duke Energy Progress serves about 1.5 million customers in central and eastern North Carolina.

A similar decrease for Duke Energy Carolinas customers will go into effect on Jan. 1, when rates for residential customers drop 3.6%.

To ensure accurate rates, the North Carolina Utilities Commission (NCUC) annually reviews the fuel costs required to generate electricity for customers, along with rider updates for state programs to encourage clean energy adoption and reduce energy use. The NCUC issued its order approving the annual adjustment on Nov. 13.