Duke Energy Kentucky electric rates and bills
Duke Energy Kentucky's 140,950 residential customers in Kentucky paid an average of 13.86¢ per kWh in 2025, for an average bill of $128.35 a month on 926 kWh.1 Over the last 12 months (Sep 2025–Aug 2026) the average was 13.85¢, and 13.05¢ in August 2026.2
EIA-861 2025 final (released October 7, 2026) and EIA's monthly utility survey through August 2026 (preliminary); next monthly update expected November 24, 2026. Averages are revenue divided by kWh, all charges included: not the rate printed in a tariff.
6 of 120 Kentucky counties served (EIA-861 2025)
Duke Energy Kentucky's homes paid an average of 13.86¢ per kWh in 2025, 5.6% above the Kentucky average, yet their monthly bill of $128.351 was lower than the state's because they used less electricity. Over the 12 months to August 2026, nearly all of them after the Kentucky Public Service Commission's October 2025 rate order, the average was 13.85¢ per kWh2.
What Duke Energy Kentucky's customers pay per kWh
Duke Energy Kentucky is the Northern Kentucky subsidiary of Duke Energy. In 2025 it sold and delivered electricity to 140,950 residential customers, 6.8%1 of the state's homes, which makes it Kentucky's third-largest utility by residential customers.
The table gives EIA's averages for those homes. Each is average revenue per kWh: what customers paid in total, including the customer charge, fuel adjustment and riders but not most taxes, divided by the electricity they used. None of them is a tariff rate, and a small household usually pays more per kWh than the average because the fixed charge is spread over fewer kWh.
| Period | Average price | Average monthly bill | Use per home | EIA source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13.44¢ per kWh | $119.52 | 889 kWh3 | EIA-861 |
| 2025 | 13.86¢ per kWh | $128.35 | 926 kWh1 | EIA-861 |
| 12 months, September 2025 to August 2026 | 13.85¢ per kWh | $126.63 | 915 kWh | EIA-861M, 2026 preliminary |
| August 20264 | 13.05¢ per kWh2 | EIA-861M, preliminary |
The 2025 average put Duke Energy Kentucky tied for 12th highest among the 32 Kentucky utilities with 10,000 or more residential customers. Kentucky's averages are low by national standards, so the same price ranked tied for 60th lowest of 177 large utilities in the country (100,000 or more residential customers), below their median of 15.07¢ per kWh and 22.0% below the national average for investor-owned utilities1.
A higher price than Kentucky's, a smaller bill
Duke Energy Kentucky's homes paid more per kWh than the Kentucky average of 13.13¢ per kWh5 in 2025, but they used 926 kWh a month against 1,094 kWh statewide. Kentucky homes rank 7th highest among the states for electricity use, so lower use outweighed the higher price: Duke Energy Kentucky's average bill was $128.351, the state's $143.726.
Kentucky's four utilities with 100,000 or more residential customers show how far apart price and bill can sit (2025, full-service residential customers):
| Utility | Average price | Use per home | Average monthly bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Kentucky | 13.86¢ per kWh | 926 kWh | $128.35 |
| Kentucky Utilities | 11.90¢ per kWh | 1,164 kWh | $138.47 |
| LG&E | 12.42¢ per kWh | 937 kWh | $116.37 |
| Kentucky Power | 15.95¢ per kWh | 1,235 kWh | $196.991 |
Kentucky Utilities had the lowest price of the four but a higher bill than Duke Energy Kentucky, because its homes used more. LG&E's homes used about as much as Duke's and paid less per kWh, so their bill was the smallest.
The 2025 rate case and the months since
Duke Energy Kentucky filed an electric rate case in December 2024. On October 2, 2025, the Kentucky Public Service Commission's final order in the case denied the rates the company proposed and approved a different set for service from that date; a rehearing order on November 10, 2025 revised them again. The case record lists every filing and order.
EIA's 2025 figure mostly predates the order: the residential average went from 13.44¢ per kWh3 in 2024 to 13.86¢ per kWh in 2025 (+3.1%1). The 12 months September 2025 to August 2026 mostly fall after it, and their average, 13.85¢ per kWh2, came in close to the 2025 figure. Kentucky's residential average over the same 12 months changed +6.8%4 on the 12 months before.
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential revenue divided by kWh in each month, as reported to EIA's monthly survey (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary).
Show the numbers
| Month | Duke Energy Kentucky (¢/kWh) | kWh per customer | Bill per customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 11.43¢ | 1,249 | $142.77 |
| February 2025 | 14.06¢ | 1,052 | $147.92 |
| March 2025 | 14.70¢ | 726 | $106.66 |
| April 2025 | 14.14¢ | 694 | $98.09 |
| May 2025 | 13.90¢ | 652 | $90.67 |
| June 2025 | 12.88¢ | 1,042 | $134.23 |
| July 2025 | 15.51¢ | 1,242 | $192.56 |
| August 2025 | 15.26¢ | 1,047 | $159.77 |
| September 2025 | 15.29¢ | 863 | $131.96 |
| October 2025 | 14.26¢ | 666 | $95.03 |
| November 2025 | 11.28¢ | 768 | $86.60 |
| December 2025 | 13.83¢ | 1,113 | $153.91 |
| January 2026 | 14.58¢ | 1,197 | $174.51 |
| February 2026 | 13.68¢ | 1,063 | $145.39 |
| March 2026 | 14.35¢ | 724 | $103.88 |
| April 2026 | 14.02¢ | 681 | $95.45 |
| May 2026 | 15.74¢ | 685 | $107.74 |
| June 2026 | 13.16¢ | 931 | $122.58 |
| July 2026 | 13.44¢ | 1,184 | $159.08 |
| August 2026 | 13.05¢ | 1,098 | $143.22 |
Single months jump around at Duke Energy Kentucky more than the 12-month figure suggests, as the chart shows. In August 2026 the average was 13.05¢ per kWh, a change of −14.5%2 on August 2025, while Kentucky's statewide residential average changed +5.3%4 over the same months. Monthly averages from EIA-861M are preliminary, and a single month's figure also depends on billing-cycle timing and on how much use the fixed charge is spread over, so one month says little about the price trend. The 12-month average is the steadier guide.
January bills are the largest
Over the 12 months September 2025 to August 2026, use per home peaked at 1,197 kWh in January 2026, when the average bill reached $174.51, and fell to 666 kWh in October 2025, with a bill of $95.032. The chart shows a second rise in summer; spring and autumn months are the cheapest.
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility. kWh per residential customer in each month (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). The table adds the average bill and price for the month.
Show the numbers
| Month | kWh per customer | Bill per customer | ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | 863 | $131.96 | 15.29¢ |
| October 2025 | 666 | $95.03 | 14.26¢ |
| November 2025 | 768 | $86.60 | 11.28¢ |
| December 2025 | 1,113 | $153.91 | 13.83¢ |
| January 2026 | 1,197 | $174.51 | 14.58¢ |
| February 2026 | 1,063 | $145.39 | 13.68¢ |
| March 2026 | 724 | $103.88 | 14.35¢ |
| April 2026 | 681 | $95.45 | 14.02¢ |
| May 2026 | 685 | $107.74 | 15.74¢ |
| June 2026 | 931 | $122.58 | 13.16¢ |
| July 2026 | 1,184 | $159.08 | 13.44¢ |
| August 2026 | 1,098 | $143.22 | 13.05¢ |
Between 2024 and 2025, use per home rose from 889 kWh3 to 926 kWh a month. That increase and the higher price together changed the average bill by +7.4%1, more than twice the change in price.
Northern Kentucky, across the river from Ohio
EIA's 2025 territory records place Duke Energy Kentucky in 6 counties: Boone County, Campbell County, Gallatin County, Grant County, Kenton County and Pendleton County7. In each of them at least one other utility also reports customers, so the county does not settle who serves an address; the company's service map does. EIA publishes no price for any city or ZIP code in the area.
Source: EIA-861 2025, service territory; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties. EIA-861 2025 service territory: 6 counties. Counts whole counties even where the utility serves only part of one; check the utility's own service-area map for an address.
Show the numbers
| County | Other utilities reporting service |
|---|---|
| Boone County | Owen Electric Cooperative |
| Campbell County | Kentucky Utilities, Owen Electric Cooperative |
| Gallatin County | Kentucky Utilities, Owen Electric Cooperative |
| Grant County | Kentucky Utilities, Owen Electric Cooperative, Blue Grass Energy Cooperative Corp, Pennyrile Rural Electric Cooperative, Williamstown Utility Comm |
| Kenton County | Owen Electric Cooperative |
| Pendleton County | Kentucky Utilities, Owen Electric Cooperative, Blue Grass Energy Cooperative Corp, City of Falmouth |
Duke Energy Kentucky is also in a different wholesale market from the state's two largest utilities: it reports to EIA as a member of PJM, while Kentucky Utilities and LG&E report no regional transmission organization. Its sister utility on the Ohio side, Duke Energy Ohio, is separately regulated by Ohio's commission. In 2025, Duke Energy Ohio's default-service homes paid 16.83¢ per kWh on average and used 915 kWh a month, for a bill of $154.051.
Source: EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final. EIA-861 2025 final. Average revenue per kWh is all charges divided by kWh; it is not a tariff rate.
Show the numbers
| Utility | average residential price (bundled customers) |
|---|---|
| Duke Energy Kentucky (KY) | 13.86¢ |
| Duke Energy Indiana (IN) | 14.98¢ |
| Duke Energy Ohio (OH) | 16.83¢ |
Across the 8 Duke Energy utilities with pages here, 2025 averages ranged from 13.41¢ per kWh at Duke Energy Carolinas (North Carolina) to 18.36¢ per kWh1 at Duke Energy Florida; the Duke Energy page compares them.
Outages well below the state average
In 2025 the average Duke Energy Kentucky customer was without power for 184 minutes including major event days, fewer than the Kentucky average of 408 minutes, and for 98 minutes excluding them, against 173 minutes statewide. Customers saw 0.88 interruptions on average, against 1.929 across Kentucky. Utilities report these figures under IEEE 1366.
Meters, peak rebates and rooftop solar
Nearly every residential meter is an advanced (AMI) meter: 99.8% in 2025. The company's only residential time-varying offer reported to EIA was critical peak rebates, which pay customers for cutting use on announced peak days rather than charging different prices by hour; 81910 homes took part. The time-of-use guide explains how hourly pricing differs.
Duke Energy Kentucky reported 1,026 net-metered residential solar installations in 2025, 7.0 megawatts in all, or 7.310 per 1,000 residential customers.
Businesses, and help with bills
Commercial customers (14,541 accounts) paid an average of 11.68¢ per kWh in 2025, with a monthly bill of $1,211.60; its 284 industrial accounts paid 9.95¢ per kWh. Across all customers the average was 12.21¢ per kWh1.
Kentucky received $56.5 million11 in federal LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) funds for fiscal 2026, which help with heating and cooling bills. Statewide comparisons are on the Kentucky page.
Questions about Duke Energy Kentucky prices
How much does Duke Energy Kentucky charge per kWh?
EIA reports averages, not tariff lines. Residential customers paid an average of 13.85¢ per kWh2 over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026, 2026 months preliminary) and 13.86¢ per kWh1 in 2025. Both divide everything homes paid, including the monthly customer charge, fuel adjustment and riders, by the kWh they used. The energy charge printed in the tariff is a narrower number.
What is the average Duke Energy Kentucky electric bill?
$128.35 a month in 2025 for 926 kWh1, up from $119.523 in 2024. Over the 12 months September 2025 to August 2026 it averaged $126.63, with a high of $174.51 in January 20262.
Did Duke Energy Kentucky raise rates?
The Kentucky Public Service Commission decided Duke Energy Kentucky's electric rate case on October 2, 2025, rejecting the rates the company proposed and approving its own set, then revised them on rehearing on November 10, 2025. EIA's figures show an annual average of 13.86¢ per kWh in 2025, +3.1%1 on 2024, and 13.05¢ per kWh2 in August 20264 (preliminary).
Can I buy electricity from someone other than Duke Energy Kentucky?
No. Kentucky has no residential retail choice: EIA counted no Kentucky homes buying from a competitive supplier in 2025. Duke Energy Kentucky supplies and delivers the power for every home on its wires.
Does Duke Energy Kentucky offer time-of-use rates?
The only residential time-varying program it reported to EIA for 2025 was critical peak rebates, with 819 homes enrolled (0.6%10 of residential customers). Current rate options are listed in the company's tariff on file with the Kentucky Public Service Commission.
Related pages
Sources
- EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; table sales_ult_cust_2025 and _2026; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2024; 2024, final (file updated December 3, 2025); released December 3, 2025. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state; table sales_revenue.xlsx (EPM Table 5.6.A); January 2001 to 2026-08; months since January 2026 preliminary; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Historical state data, annual sales, revenue and customers; table HS861 2010-.xlsx; 2010-2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, average monthly bill by state; table Average_Bill_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, service territory; table Service_Territory_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties; table cb_2025_us_county_5m; cb_2021_us_county_5m; 2025 (2021 for Connecticut). www.census.gov
- EIA-861 2025, reliability; table Reliability_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, advanced meters, dynamic pricing and net metering; table Advanced_Meters, Dynamic_Pricing, Net_Metering 2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- HHS, LIHEAP funding releases to states; table FY2027 first release; FY2026 final; FY2027 first release (October 9, 2026); FY2026 total; released October 9, 2026. acf.gov
How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.