South Carolina electricity rates (August 2026)

Average residential and commercial electricity prices in South Carolina from EIA's monthly utility survey, with the trend, the largest utilities and what power costs a typical homeowner.

Residential rate

15.76¢

▲ 4.0% vs a year agoper kWh, August 2026; ranks 32 of 51 (1 = highest)

Commercial rate

11.76¢

per kWh, August 2026

Average home bill

$169

per month over the last 12 months, about 1,070 kWh

U.S. residential average

18.16¢

South Carolina is 13% below the U.S. average.

Find your utility's rate by ZIP

South Carolina vs U.S. residential rate

Cents per kWh by month, last 36 months.

Last 12 months in South Carolina

Month	Residential	Commercial	U.S. residential	Avg kWh	Avg bill
August 2026	15.76¢	11.76¢	18.16¢	1,436	$226
July 2026	15.47¢	11.61¢	18.31¢	1,499	$232
June 2026	15.55¢	11.62¢	18.34¢	1,195	$186
May 2026	16.18¢	11.57¢	18.44¢	915	$148
April 2026	17.06¢	11.61¢	18.86¢	770	$131
March 2026	16.46¢	11.70¢	18.60¢	821	$135
February 2026	16.15¢	12.82¢	17.65¢	1,134	$183
January 2026	15.41¢	12.38¢	17.45¢	1,282	$198
December 2025	14.94¢	11.64¢	17.11¢	1,121	$167
November 2025	15.68¢	11.32¢	17.77¢	822	$129
October 2025	15.82¢	11.12¢	17.95¢	824	$130
September 2025	15.51¢	11.08¢	18.05¢	1,015	$157

Largest utilities in South Carolina

Residential rates for the biggest utilities in South Carolina that report monthly to EIA, ordered by number of homes served, for August 2026.

Utility	Type	Rate	Avg kWh	Avg bill	Homes
Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc	Investor Owned	17.38¢	1,399	$243	721,123
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC	Investor Owned	14.57¢	1,352	$197	596,321
South Carolina Public Service Authority	State	12.46¢	1,392	$173	191,121
Duke Energy Progress - (NC)	Investor Owned	16.03¢	1,445	$232	144,744
Berkeley Electric Coop Inc	Cooperative	15.81¢	1,517	$240	122,066
Palmetto Electric Coop Inc	Cooperative	14.30¢	1,658	$237	72,082
Lockhart Power Co	Investor Owned	15.61¢	1,410	$220	4,985

What electricity adds to owning a home in South Carolina

A typical South Carolina home is valued at $304,319 (Zillow). With 10% down at this week's 7.24% 30-year rate, principal and interest come to about $1,867 a month. The average electric bill of $169 adds about 9% on top of that, or $2,023 a year. See South Carolina property tax and closing costs or run the monthly payment.

Bills follow the seasons: in South Carolina the highest-use month of the last year averaged 1,499 kWh per home and the lowest 770 kWh. Budget for the expensive months, not the average.

Common questions

What is the average electricity rate in South Carolina?

Homes in South Carolina paid an average of 15.76 cents per kWh in August 2026, 13% below the U.S. average of 18.16 cents (EIA Form 861M).

How much is the average electric bill in South Carolina?

Over the last 12 months the average South Carolina home used about 1,070 kWh a month and paid about $169 a month.

Have South Carolina electricity rates gone up?

The residential rate is 4.0% higher than in August 2025, when it was 15.16 cents per kWh.

What do businesses pay for electricity in South Carolina?

Commercial customers in South Carolina paid 11.76 cents per kWh in August 2026.

Electricity rates in all statesRanked table and ZIP lookup South Carolina buying costsProperty tax, transfer tax and closing costs South Carolina buyer programsDown payment help where you live

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Form EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue (state and utility data, latest month August 2026; EIA marks recent months preliminary and may revise them); ZIP-to-utility map: OpenEI, U.S. Electric Utility Companies and Rates: Look-up by Zip Code (2024), CC BY 4.0. Rates are average revenue per kWh (total bill divided by kWh sold), so they include fixed and delivery charges. EIA posts each month about eight weeks after it ends; this page checks for new data every morning.