South Carolina households paid an average of 15.76¢ per kWh in August 2026, 13% below the US average and +4.0% on a year earlier. That ranks #32 of 51, most expensive first.
Source EIA, residential retail priceLatest month August 2026
Average residential priceSC
15.76¢/kWh
Typical bill
$169/mo
Average use
1,070kWh
EV, 1,000 mi
$43/mo
Thirteen months of prices
Average residential price by month, ¢/kWh (EIA). Highest 17.06¢ in April 2026, lowest 14.94¢ in December 2025. Download the data (CSV)
Utilities and rate plans
Each utility’s current residential tariffs, transcribed from its tariff sheets, with periods, tiers, fixed charge and a typical bill. Customer counts from EIA-861 (2025).
Each row prices a utility’s standard plan for a typical home. The South Carolina average of 15.77¢/kWh (EIA, 12 months) is what every household in the state actually paid, including utilities not modeled here and discounted low-income bills, so it can sit below every row.
RSTC figures leave out critical-peak days: on up to 20 days a year Duke can bill the on-peak hours at a much higher critical-peak price, so a household that uses power in those hours pays more than shown.
Also: Columbia (Dominion Energy SC), North Charleston (Dominion Energy SC).
Against the national average and states with similar prices
Average residential ¢/kWh, August 2026 (EIA).
South Carolina15.76¢
United States18.16¢
Georgia15.90¢
Texas15.91¢
Oregon15.92¢
Montana15.57¢
Charging an electric car in South Carolina
Driving a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD 1,000 miles a month takes 275 kWh from the wall (EPA 27.5 kWh/100 mi), about $43 at the state average. A 25.5 mpg gasoline car covering the same distance at $3.90 a gallon (Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C) average, October 2026) costs about $153.
Some utilities, such as Duke Energy Carolinas, sell EV plans with cheaper overnight hours. The table shows, for each utility, the plan with the lowest total bill for a typical South Carolina home that adds 1,000 EV miles a month, averaged over the year, and what plugging in at 6 pm would cost instead.
Over the last 12 months the average price was 15.77¢ per kWh and the average home used 1,070 kWh a month, so a typical South Carolina household spent about $169 a month on electricity, or $2,025 a year. Use is 22% above the US average of 875 kWh a month, peaking in July at 1,499 kWh.
The state average hides the real spread. Utilities in the same state charge different prices, and on a time-of-use plan the same kWh costs more in the peak hours than off-peak; each utility page shows by how much. Open Dominion Energy SC’s page to see its plans, prices by hour and fixed charge, or run the calculators below with South Carolina preloaded.
Natural gas for homes averaged $1.81 per therm over the 12 months to August 2026 (EIA, all charges included), and a typical gas-heated home uses about 313 therms a year for heating. The heat pump calculator compares that with electric heating on your plan.
A south-facing, 20° rooftop array in South Carolina produces about 1,427 kWh per installed kW a year (NREL PVWatts at the state’s population center). What that is worth depends on your utility’s export rule, shown on each utility’s page.
South Carolina electricity: common questions
How much does electricity cost in South Carolina?
Homes in South Carolina paid an average of 15.76¢ per kWh in August 2026, against 18.16¢ for the US, which ranks the state #32 of 51 from most expensive. Over the last 12 months the average was 15.77¢. These are EIA averages of what households actually paid, fixed charges included; your utility and plan set your own price.
What is the average electric bill in South Carolina?
About $169 a month ($2,025 a year): the average South Carolina home used 1,070 kWh a month over the last 12 months at an average 15.77¢/kWh. Use peaks in July, at 1,499 kWh.
Are electricity prices going up in South Carolina?
South Carolina's average residential price was 15.76¢/kWh in August 2026, 4.0% higher than a year earlier. Over the last ten years the 12-month average has changed by +2.2% a year, against +3.7% a year for the US.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car in South Carolina?
Driving 1,000 miles a month in a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD takes 275 kWh from the wall, about $43 at the state's average home price, against about $153 of gasoline for a 25.5 mpg car. On a time-of-use plan, charging overnight can cost less than that.
Do South Carolina utilities offer time-of-use plans?
Yes. Dominion Energy SC offers Rate 5 (peak 4 pm–8 pm on summer weekdays); Duke Energy Carolinas offers RSTC, RT-EV (peak 6 pm–9 pm on summer weekdays on RSTC). Each utility's page shows every period and price.