Electricity rates — South Carolina
A household in South Carolina using 1,000 kWh a month pays about $1,757 a year on the cheapest of 6 generally available plans — Residential - RS (SC) from Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina), in effect since November 2025. Schedule retrieved October 8, 2026. A further 15 restricted and 7 older schedules are priced further down but not ranked. 4 plans billed on peak demand are priced but not ranked, because a household's peak in kW cannot be read from monthly use. Plans from Berkeley Electric Coop Inc are priced but not ranked: as recorded they come to well under what its customers were billed, by EIA-861.
- Average price
- 15.6¢ per kWh
- 12 months to June 2026
- Against the 12 months before
- +6.1%
- The joint 26th-largest rise of the 50 states
- Average bill
- $164 a month
- 12 months to June 2026, up 4.3% on the 12 months before, though homes used 1.7% less
25 of 33 priced plans, 1,000 kWh/mo
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential - RS (SC)✓ cheapestDuke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina)tiered · in effect since November 2025 | $1,756.80 | — | 14.6¢ |
| Residential Service (RES-55) Single PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina)priced by season · tiered · in effect since February 2026 | $1,945.72 | +$188.92 | 16.2¢ |
| 5 (Residential Service Time-Of-Use)South Carolina Electric&Gas Cotime-of-use · in effect since September 2024 | $1,953.92 | +$197.12 | 16.3¢ |
| 6 (Residential Service Energy Conservation Rate)South Carolina Electric&Gas Copriced by season · tiered · in effect since September 2024 | $2,153.46 | +$396.66 | 17.9¢ |
| Residential Time-of-Use Rate Schedule RT-25South Carolina Pub Serv Authtime-of-use · in effect since April 2025 | $2,158.12 | +$401.32 | 18.0¢ |
| 8 (Residential Service)South Carolina Electric&Gas Copriced by season · tiered · in effect since September 2024 | $2,238.56 | +$481.76 | 18.7¢ |
| Priced but not ranked — restricted, older, or not verifiable as a bill | |||
| Residential Demand - Single PhaseHorry Electric Coop Incdemand charge · in effect since October 2013 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,181.79 | −$575.01 | 9.8¢ |
| Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Single PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina)time-of-use · in effect since July 2016 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,246.25 | −$510.55 | 10.4¢ |
| Residential Service All Energy Time-of-Use (R-TOUE-38) Three PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina)time-of-use · in effect since July 2016 · needs three-phase service | $1,354.25 | −$402.55 | 11.3¢ |
| Residential Rate - Single PhaseHorry Electric Coop Incdemand charge · in effect since July 2024 · billed on peak kW, which monthly use cannot price; not ranked | $1,372.20 | −$384.60 | 11.4¢ |
| Net Metering - ResidentialHorry Electric Coop Inctime-of-use · demand charge · in effect since October 2013 · needs on-site generation | $1,394.19 | −$362.61 | 11.6¢ |
| ResidentialPalmetto Electric Coop Incflat rate · in effect since October 2012 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,432.80 | −$324.00 | 11.9¢ |
| Residential Time of DayBerkeley Electric Coop Incflat rate · in effect since January 2025 · under what its customers were billed (EIA-861); not ranked | $1,493.10 | −$263.70 | 12.4¢ |
| Residential Transition Adjustment Schedule RTA-17South Carolina Pub Serv Authpriced by season · in effect since April 2017 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,510.40 | −$246.40 | 12.6¢ |
| Residential Pre-PayHorry Electric Coop Incpriced by season · tiered · in effect since October 2013 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,540.80 | −$216.00 | 12.8¢ |
| Residential Demand - Multi-PhaseHorry Electric Coop Incdemand charge · in effect since October 2013 · needs three-phase service | $1,541.79 | −$215.01 | 12.8¢ |
| Residential Service Energy Star All-Electric ESDuke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina)tiered · in effect since November 2025 · needs an all-electric home | $1,552.20 | −$204.60 | 12.9¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Single PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina)time-of-use · demand charge · in effect since February 2026 · billed on peak kW, which monthly use cannot price; not ranked | $1,558.56 | −$198.24 | 13.0¢ |
| Whole House TODBerkeley Electric Coop Inctime-of-use · in effect since August 2014 · older schedule, not ranked | $1,568.08 | −$188.72 | 13.1¢ |
| Residential Electric Water Heating and Space Conditioning - REDuke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina)tiered · in effect since November 2025 · needs electric heating | $1,633.08 | −$123.72 | 13.6¢ |
| Residential Service Time-of-Use (R-TOUD-55) Three PhaseProgress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina)time-of-use · demand charge · in effect since February 2026 · needs three-phase service | $1,649.90 | −$106.90 | 13.7¢ |
| 3 Phase Residential RateHorry Electric Coop Incpriced by season · tiered · in effect since October 2013 · needs three-phase service | $1,660.80 | −$96.00 | 13.8¢ |
| Residential Service Energy Star Standard ESDuke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina)tiered · in effect since November 2025 · needs qualifying appliances | $1,669.80 | −$87.00 | 13.9¢ |
| Residential General Service Schedule RG-25South Carolina Pub Serv Authdemand charge · in effect since April 2025 · billed on peak kW, which monthly use cannot price; not ranked | $1,758.91 | +$2.11 | 14.7¢ |
| Residential Service RB; Closed RateDuke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina)tiered · in effect since January 2024 · closed to new customers | $1,765.68 | +$8.88 | 14.7¢ |
8 further schedules are published and priced but not listed here — mostly regional and seasonal variants of the plans above. The dearest of them costs $2,238.56 a year at this usage.
The cheapest plan in South Carolina at each level of use
- 500 kWh/mo — cheapest $950.16 (Residential - RS (SC)), dearest $1,199.03, a $248.87 range
- 1,000 kWh/mo — cheapest $1,756.80 (Residential - RS (SC)), dearest $2,238.56, a $481.76 range
- 2,000 kWh/mo — cheapest $3,457.08 (Residential - RS (SC)), dearest $4,387.46, a $930.38 range
What households in South Carolina pay, by EIA's count
South Carolina sits between Oregon (15.5¢) and Texas (15.9¢).
EIA lists 29 utilities serving homes in South Carolina. By homes served, the largest 5 are Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc (696,385), Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (568,586), South Carolina Public Service Authority (185,529), Duke Energy Progress - (NC) (143,713), and Berkeley Electric Coop Inc (115,117). Member-owned cooperatives supply about 31% and state-owned utilities supply about 7% of its households.
Over five years they rose 22.6%, well behind the US's 34.7%.
South Carolina homes used the most electricity in July and the least in April (2021–2025): a summer peak, 1.9 times the lightest month. October was the dearest month per kWh, 12% above January.
The utilities with a ranked plan on this page serve about 62% of South Carolina's households: South Carolina Electric&Gas Co (696,385), Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina) (568,586), South Carolina Pub Serv Auth (185,529), Progress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina) (143,713). Their median plan at 1,000 kWh a month works out to 17.1¢ per kWh, 10% above EIA's average, which is why this page compares that median with other states'.
| Average price, 12 months to June 2026 | 15.6¢ |
|---|---|
| Among the 50 states and DC | 26 of 51, 1 = lowest |
| US average, same months | 17.9¢ |
| Change on the 12 months before | ↑ +6.1% |
| Change over five years | ↑ +22.6% (US ↑ +34.7%) |
| Average price in 2001 | 7.7¢ |
| Households, 2024 | 2,574,218 |
| Average use per home, 2024 | 1,054 kWh a month (US 872) |
| Average bill per home, 2024 | $149.95 a month (US $143.64) |
Chart of this for reuse (PNG), free to republish under CC BY 4.0 with credit to WattClear.
Every year’s figure for South Carolina
| Year | South Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15.0¢ | 17.3¢ |
| 2024 | 14.2¢ | 16.5¢ |
| 2023 | 13.7¢ | 16.0¢ |
| 2022 | 13.6¢ | 15.0¢ |
| 2021 | 12.9¢ | 13.7¢ |
| 2020 | 12.8¢ | 13.2¢ |
| 2019 | 13.0¢ | 13.0¢ |
| 2018 | 12.4¢ | 12.9¢ |
| 2017 | 13.0¢ | 12.9¢ |
| 2016 | 12.7¢ | 12.5¢ |
| 2015 | 12.6¢ | 12.7¢ |
| 2014 | 12.5¢ | 12.5¢ |
| 2013 | 12.0¢ | 12.1¢ |
| 2012 | 11.8¢ | 11.9¢ |
| 2011 | 11.1¢ | 11.7¢ |
| 2010 | 10.5¢ | 11.5¢ |
| 2009 | 10.4¢ | 11.5¢ |
| 2008 | 9.9¢ | 11.3¢ |
| 2007 | 9.2¢ | 10.7¢ |
| 2006 | 9.0¢ | 10.4¢ |
| 2005 | 8.7¢ | 9.4¢ |
| 2004 | 8.1¢ | 8.9¢ |
| 2003 | 8.0¢ | 8.7¢ |
| 2002 | 7.7¢ | 8.4¢ |
| 2001 | 7.7¢ | 8.6¢ |
Highest in July, $199; lowest in April, $112.
Every month’s bill in South Carolina
| Month | Average bill |
|---|---|
| January | $166 |
| February | $139 |
| March | $121 |
| April | $112 |
| May | $130 |
| June | $164 |
| July | $199 |
| August | $189 |
| September | $155 |
| October | $122 |
| November | $121 |
| December | $151 |
In the guides: Summer and winter bills, state by state
How South Carolina compares
At 1,000 kWh a month the median plan in South Carolina costs $2,053.69 a year: the 13th-lowest of the 31 states whose indexed plans stand for them, and 10% less than their median of $2,274.24. It sits between Colorado ($2,035.24) and Oregon ($2,165.94).
Its cheapest open plan, Residential - RS (SC) from Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina) at $1,756.80, is the 13th-lowest of the 31 states' cheapest plans.
The largest fixed charge on any plan here is $62.00 a month, the 6th-largest such charge of the 31 states.
In the guides: What published electricity plans cost, state by state · What a bill costs before a single kilowatt-hour
What each provider in South Carolina costs
4 utilities serve customers across South Carolina in this data. At 1,000 kWh a month the cheapest of them is Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina) at $1,756.80 a year on Residential - RS (SC); the dearest is South Carolina Pub Serv Auth at $2,158.12.
That is $401.32 a year between the best each provider offers.
Cheapest available plan by provider: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina) $1,756.80; Progress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina) $1,945.72; South Carolina Electric&Gas Co $1,953.92; South Carolina Pub Serv Auth $2,158.12.
How South Carolina's plans are structured
Of 34 priceable plans: 11 tiered, 14 time-of-use, 8 priced by season, 11 with demand charges, 3 flat-rate.
Fixed monthly charges run from $8.00 to $62.00.
Who provides South Carolina's plans
These plans come from 7 utilities: Berkeley Electric Coop Inc, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (South Carolina), Horry Electric Coop Inc, Palmetto Electric Coop Inc, Progress Energy Carolinas Inc (South Carolina), South Carolina Electric&Gas Co, South Carolina Pub Serv Auth.