Electricity rates in South Carolina
Updated 2026-10-21 with EIA data through July 2026
Homes in South Carolina paid an average of 15.64¢ per kWh over the last 12 months, up from 12.65¢ in 2016. Businesses paid 11.57¢ and industry 7.55¢. Electricity is regulated, so your utility is set by your address.
What things cost to run in South Carolina
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South Carolina electricity price trend
Annual average residential price, 2010–2025. Since 2016, prices have risen +18%.
Power outages in South Carolina right now
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Electric utilities in South Carolina
46 utilities serve homes in South Carolina. Rates are average residential revenue per kWh, so they include fixed charges. Click a utility for rate plans, outage history and its service map.
Click or tap a county to see the electric companies that serve it.
| Utility | Type | Homes served | Rate | Avg bill | Outage min/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion Energy South Carolina | Investor-owned | 713K | 17.12¢ | $177 | 131 |
| Duke Energy Carolinas | Investor-owned | 582K | 13.97¢ | $147 | 220 |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority | State-owned | 189K | 14.06¢ | $135 | 43 |
| Duke Energy Progress | Investor-owned | 144K | 14.92¢ | $180 | 119 |
| Berkeley Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 120K | 16.73¢ | $192 | 114 |
| Horry Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 92K | 14.46¢ | $155 | 110 |
| Palmetto Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 70K | 15.19¢ | $184 | 51 |
| Blue Ridge Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 69K | 20.72¢ | $207 | 205 |
| York Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 66K | 14.30¢ | $155 | 66 |
| Laurens Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 60K | 16.33¢ | $175 | 211 |
| Mid-Carolina Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 57K | 17.60¢ | $204 | 267 |
| Aiken Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 51K | 18.30¢ | $201 | 189 |
| City of Rock Hill | Municipal | 37K | 12.90¢ | $107 | 69 |
| Santee Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 35K | 17.13¢ | $221 | 211 |
| Fairfield Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 33K | 16.31¢ | $189 | 139 |
| MPD Electric Cooperative | Electric cooperative | 32K | 14.35¢ | $188 | 136 |
| Black River Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 31K | 15.83¢ | $204 | 96 |
| Broad River Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 24K | 17.94¢ | $193 | 108 |
| Greer Commission of Public Wks | Municipal | 23K | 13.39¢ | $120 | 37 |
| Lynches River Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 22K | 17.08¢ | $182 | 202 |
| City of Orangeburg | Municipal | 21K | 15.87¢ | $171 | 224 |
| Tri-County Electric Co-op, Inc (SC) | Electric cooperative | 18K | 20.84¢ | $236 | 265 |
| Easley Combined Utility System | Municipal | 16K | 13.39¢ | $131 | 91 |
| Little River Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 16K | 18.99¢ | $203 | — |
| Edisto Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 16K | 19.86¢ | $238 | 236 |
| Newberry Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 13K | 17.83¢ | $180 | 512 |
| Coastal Electric Co-op | Electric cooperative | 12K | 17.80¢ | $232 | 387 |
| City of Camden | Municipal | 12K | 18.52¢ | $240 | — |
| Greenwood CPW | Municipal | 12K | 10.42¢ | $87 | 101 |
| City of Seneca | Municipal | 8,294 | 13.59¢ | $196 | 100 |
| City of Union | Municipal | 6,985 | 15.25¢ | $228 | — |
| City of Gaffney | Municipal | 6,198 | 12.88¢ | $127 | 98 |
| City of Laurens | Municipal | 5,512 | 13.05¢ | $216 | 40 |
| City of Newberry | Municipal | 5,458 | 16.33¢ | $405 | — |
| City of Georgetown | Municipal | 5,241 | 11.69¢ | $245 | — |
| Lockhart Power Co. | Investor-owned | 4,961 | 15.34¢ | $171 | — |
| City of Bennettsville | Municipal | 4,772 | 13.50¢ | $185 | — |
| Clinton Combined Utility Sys | Municipal | 4,504 | 16.20¢ | $308 | 9 |
| City of Abbeville | Municipal | 3,563 | 15.79¢ | $215 | — |
| Town of Winnsboro | Municipal | 3,161 | 15.95¢ | $256 | — |
| Bamberg Board of Public Works | Municipal | 1,783 | 13.72¢ | $249 | 1 |
| City of Westminster | Municipal | 1,532 | 17.57¢ | $232 | — |
| Town of McCormick | Municipal | 1,066 | 18.11¢ | $240 | — |
| Town of Prosperity | Municipal | 849 | 14.75¢ | $173 | — |
| City of Due West | Municipal | 496 | 12.73¢ | $311 | — |
| Haywood Electric Member Corp. | Electric cooperative | 10 | 19.30¢ | $105 | — |
South Carolina vs. neighboring states
Energy costs at a glance
| Natural gas (homes) | $2.27/therm |
| Gasoline (regular) | $3.86/gal |
| Driving cost: EV vs. gas | 4.8¢ vs. 14¢/mi |
| Solar output (1 kW, Columbia) | 1,446 kWh/yr |
| Avg. outage time (2025) | 2 hr 31 min/yr |
| Commercial rate | 11.57¢ |
| Industrial rate | 7.55¢ |
What appliances cost to run in South Carolina
| Appliance | Per month | Per year | vs. U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Space heater | $25.79 | $129 | −$19 |
| Central air conditioner | $89.97 | $450 | −$68 |
| Refrigerator | $6.52 | $78 | −$12 |
| Electric car | $58.12 | $697 | −$105 |
| Electric clothes dryer | $10.72 | $129 | −$19 |
| Electric water heater | $58.65 | $704 | −$106 |
| Hot tub | $39.10 | $469 | −$70 |
| TV | $1.95 | $23 | −$4 |
| Pool pump (single-speed) | $64.74 | $324 | −$49 |
| Heat pump | $160 | $800 | −$120 |
Electricity rates by city in South Carolina
- Columbia
- Charleston
- North Charleston
- Mount Pleasant
- Rock Hill
- Greenville
- Summerville
- Sumter
- Goose Creek
- Hilton Head Island
- Florence
- Spartanburg
- Hilton Head
- Myrtle Beach
- Aiken
- Greer
- Anderson
- Mauldin
- Greenwood
- North Augusta
- Taylors
- Saint Andrews
- Conway
- Easley
- Simpsonville
- Wade Hampton
- Lexington
- Socastee
- Hanahan
- Bluffton
- West Columbia
- North Myrtle Beach
- Clemson
- Seven Oaks
- Berea
- Gantt
- Five Forks
- Dentsville
- Ladson
- Fort Mill
- Cayce
- Orangeburg
- Beaufort
- Red Hill
- Gaffney
- Port Royal
- Irmo
- Parker
- Forest Acres
- Newberry
- Oak Grove
- Moncks Corner
- Red Bank
- Tega Cay
- Woodfield
- Garden City
- Laurens
- Georgetown
- Little River
- Lancaster
- Lake Wylie
- Clinton
- Bennettsville
- Fountain Inn
- Seneca
- Sangaree
- Boiling Springs
- Union
- York
- Sans Souci
- Hartsville
- Powdersville
- Murrells Inlet
- Lugoff
- Camden
- Burton
- Lake City
- Marion
- Dillon
- Welcome
- Centerville
- Valley Falls
- Homeland Park
- Darlington
- James Island
- Laurel Bay
- Belvedere
- Cheraw
- Clover
- Chester
Frequently asked questions
What is the average electricity rate in South Carolina?
The average residential rate in South Carolina was 15.64¢ per kWh over the 12 months ending July 2026. That is 13% below the U.S. average of 17.99¢. In July 2026 alone it was 15.47¢, +5.2% from a year earlier.
What is the average electric bill in South Carolina?
About $167 a month. The average South Carolina home uses 1,067 kWh a month (EIA 2025), and we priced that at the current average rate. Bills vary with your utility, home size, heating type and season.
Is electricity expensive in South Carolina?
South Carolina ranks 26th cheapest of 51 (50 states plus DC) for residential electricity. That is near the middle of the pack.
Can I choose my electricity provider in South Carolina?
No. South Carolina homes buy electricity from the utility that serves their address: an investor-owned utility, electric cooperative or municipal utility.
Which electric company is cheapest in South Carolina?
Among utilities with at least 1,000 residential customers, Greenwood CPW has the lowest average rate at 10.42¢/kWh. The highest is Tri-County Electric Co-op, Inc (SC) at 20.84¢. Most homes can't switch utilities, since your address determines which one serves you.
How reliable is the power grid in South Carolina?
In 2025, the average South Carolina customer was without power for 2 hr 31 min (SAIDI, including major storms) across about 1.2 outages. Excluding major event days it was 102 min. Figures are customer-weighted across utilities that report to EIA.
Sources: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue (through July 2026), EIA-861 2025 utility data, EIA fuel prices, NREL PVWatts. Methodology.