Natural gas
NC homes paid about $3.26 a therm for natural gas in July 2026, counting fixed monthly charges.
Why?
Summer prices look high because homes use little gas, so fixed monthly charges are spread over fewer units. EIA left two months blank (Apr 2025, Mar 2026); those show as gaps.
1 therm = 100,000 BTU ≈ 1.09 gal propane. 1 Mcf ≈ 10.46 therms in NC.
Why?
EIA publishes this price per Mcf (thousand cubic feet). Gas delivered in NC averaged 1,046 BTU per cubic foot in 2025 (U.S.: 1,036), so $34.09 ÷ 10.46 ≈ $3.26 a therm. Estimate: a 30,000 BTU/hr fireplace on high for 1 hour burns about 0.30 therm, about $0.98 at this price. Full input, ignores efficiency. This average includes the fixed monthly charge and July use is low, so one more therm costs less: NC tariffs list about $0.91 to $1.97 per therm before tax. Sources: EIA heat content, EIA, British thermal units.
Source: EIA, North Carolina Price of Natural Gas Delivered to Residential Consumers (N3010NC3). Data: July 2026. Released Sep 30, 2026.
Chart: 34 monthly values, Aug 2023 – Jul 2026. Each point is EIA's $/Mcf ÷ 10.46 (NC 2025 heat content, 1,046 BTU/cf), so older months are approximate.
Fixed monthly charge, homes: Piedmont $10 · Enbridge Gas NC $12 · Frontier $7.74.
Why?
You pay this every month, even with zero use. Piedmont Natural Gas, Rate 101, effective Jun 1, 2026. Enbridge Gas North Carolina (was PSNC), Rate 101, effective Oct 1, 2026. Frontier Natural Gas, rates as of Oct 1, 2026. NC also adds an excise tax of $0.047 per therm.