NC Utilities Commission approves Duke Energy Progress request to lower customer rates by 4.5% Falling fuel prices result in lower customer ratesAnnual bills for typical residential customer are $235 below national averageCHARLOTTE, N.C. – 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