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South Carolina Electricity Prices

Average retail price by sector.

Residential

15.76¢ /kWh

▲ 5.2%vs. last year

Commercial

11.76¢ /kWh

▲ 8.0%vs. last year

Industrial

7.88¢ /kWh

▲ 11.8%vs. last year

Data current through August 2026 — the latest available from the U.S. EIA, which publishes monthly figures on a roughly two-month delay.

Average monthly bill

Full bill breakdown →

$169per month▲ 5.9% vs. the year before

15.72¢/kWh × 1,072 kWh a month. Residential revenue divided by residential customers, averaged over the 12 months to August 2026 — the 12th highest among the 50 states and DC.

Compared with the U.S. and neighboring states

Average monthly residential electricity bill, in US dollars
South Carolina		$169
U.S. average		$158
Georgia		$164
North Carolina		$154

South Carolina is $10 a month above (+6.4%) the U.S. average of $158. Average monthly bill, September 2025 – August 2026.

How South Carolina makes its electricity

Fuel mix & trend since 2001 →Power plants →

Renewable

7.0%

Carbon-free

59.1%

Largest source

Nuclear 52%

24%

18%

52%

South Carolina electricity generation by source, September 2025 – August 2026
Source	Share	Generation
Natural gas	23.6%	24,314 GWh
Coal	17.5%	18,052 GWh
Nuclear	52.1%	53,714 GWh
Wind	0.0%	0 GWh
Solar	3.7%	3,840 GWh
Hydro	1.8%	1,857 GWh
Other	1.3%	1,364 GWh

103.1 TWh of net generation over the 12 months to August 2026. Generation, not consumption — power crosses state lines.

South Carolina electricity prices in context

South Carolina's residential electricity rate in August 2026 was 15.76¢/kWh, making it the 32nd most expensive among the 50 states and DC. This stands 2.40¢/kWh below the national average of 18.16¢/kWh, or 13.2% lower. Neighboring Georgia charges 15.90¢/kWh and North Carolina 14.95¢/kWh, placing South Carolina between them. Commercial and industrial rates are 11.76¢/kWh and 7.88¢/kWh respectively.

Since August 2021, the residential rate has climbed 22.8%, from 12.83¢/kWh. Over the two decades since August 2006 it has risen 70.2%, from 9.26¢/kWh, and since records began in January 2001 it has more than doubled, up 114.1% from 7.36¢/kWh. The rate peaked at 17.06¢/kWh in April 2026 and hit its lowest point of 7.31¢/kWh in December 2002.

The typical monthly residential bill in South Carolina is $169 for 1,072 kWh of usage. Nationally, the average bill stands at $158 for 876 kWh per month. South Carolina households use considerably more electricity than the national average, offsetting the state's below-average rate to produce a bill that is modestly higher than the national figure.

Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through August 2026.

12-month trend

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

Price history since 2001

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

Average retail price in all three sectors, every month since January 2001.

Residential

Jan '01: 7.36¢
Now: 15.76¢
Change: ▲ 114.1%
Range: 7.31–17.06¢

Recent months

Month	Residential	Commercial	Industrial
August 2026	15.76	11.76	7.88
July 2026	15.47	11.61	7.84
June 2026	15.55	11.62	7.55
May 2026	16.18	11.57	7.23
April 2026	17.06	11.61	7.45
March 2026	16.45	11.70	7.44
February 2026	16.15	12.82	8.62
January 2026	15.41	12.38	9.03
December 2025	14.82	11.53	7.62
November 2025	15.53	11.19	6.71
October 2025	15.65	11.00	6.98
September 2025	15.34	10.96	7.07

Prices in ¢/kWh.

Frequently asked questions

›How much does electricity cost in South Carolina?

Residential electricity in South Carolina costs 15.76¢ per kilowatt-hour as of August 2026, the 32nd highest rate among the 50 states and DC. Commercial customers pay 11.76¢ and industrial customers 7.88¢ per kilowatt-hour.

›Why is electricity relatively cheap in South Carolina?

South Carolina's residential rate of 15.76¢/kWh is -12.8% versus the U.S. average of 18.07¢/kWh. What a household actually pays also depends on how much it uses: the typical South Carolina home consumes 1,072 kWh a month against a national average of 876 kWh, which is why its average bill comes to $169.

›Have electricity prices in South Carolina gone up?

Residential electricity in South Carolina has risen 114.1% since 2001, reaching 15.76¢/kWh in August 2026. Over the last year alone the change was +5.2%.

›Is electricity cheaper in states neighboring South Carolina?

Of the states bordering South Carolina, North Carolina has the lowest average monthly bill at $154 and Georgia the highest at $164. South Carolina averages $169 a month, against a U.S. average of $158.