South Carolina Electricity Rate Changes: What Changed in 2026 and What's Next

South Carolina did not have an October 1, 2026 rate change that we could find. The state’s main 2026 change is Dominion Energy South Carolina’s rate increase, which regulators approved and which took effect in July.

This article covers Dominion Energy South Carolina, which serves more than 820,000 households. It does not cover Duke Energy’s two South Carolina utilities, Santee Cooper or the electric cooperatives.

Quick Summary

What the Settlement Says

• Bills: a residential bill at 1,000 kWh would go from about $157 to about $169.
• Revenue: $207 million a year, $115 million less than requested.
• Return on equity: 9.9%. It was 9.94% before the case, and Dominion asked for 10.5%.
• Relief: $3 million from shareholders to reduce bills in the first year, and $1 million a year for three years for low-income assistance and weatherization.

Our math: $12 ÷ $157 = 7.6%, which matches the reported percentage.

What Dominion First Asked For

AARP South Carolina summarized the original filing: a 12.7% increase, about $240 a year, and a basic facilities charge rising from $9.50 to about $13 a month. Public hearings ran from March 31 to May 12, 2026.

Status: Approved

Dominion’s July 2026 bill insert states: “The Public Service Commission of South Carolina approved an increase in retail electric rates in Docket No. 2025-325-E.” The new rates apply to bills from the first billing cycle of July 2026.

The Rates Now in Effect

For the standard residential plan (Rate 8), the insert lists:

Our math for 1,000 kWh in a 30-day month:

• Basic facilities charge: 30 × $0.36164 = $10.85
• First 800 kWh: 800 × $0.15878 = $127.02
• Next 200 kWh, winter: 200 × $0.15253 = $30.51
• Renewable charge: $1.00
• Winter total: $169.38
• Summer total, with the next 200 kWh at $0.17442 ($34.88): $173.75

This is our estimate from the listed rates, before taxes and any other riders. The winter figure is close to the roughly $169 the settlement coverage described.

What changes in October. Nothing new was approved for October, but the season switches. A home using 1,000 kWh pays about $4.37 less in a winter month than in a summer month, because the rate above 800 kWh is lower.

The basic facilities charge. At $0.36164 a day it works out to about $11 a month. AARP reported the charge was $9.50 before the case and that Dominion had asked for about $13.

What This Means for Homeowners With Solar

We did not verify South Carolina’s current net metering or export credit rules for this article, so we give no export rates here. Ask your utility for its current solar tariff, and check how exported energy is credited before sizing a system. Fixed monthly charges are not reduced by solar.

A higher basic facilities charge, if approved, would not be offset by solar. Our solar payback guide shows how the retail rate and the export credit change the math.

What to Check on Your Bill

1. The basic facilities charge, now $0.36164 a day.
2. The energy charge per kWh on bills since July 2026.
3. The fuel line.

For help sorting the lines on your bill, see our guide to reading your electric bill.

Limitations

Approval and current rates come from Dominion’s bill insert. Settlement figures come from news and advocacy reports. We did not open the commission’s order, so we did not confirm whether it changed any settlement term. Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress cases in South Carolina were not researched.

Sources

• Dominion Energy South Carolina, “Electric Rates Change” bill insert, July 2026
• Dominion Energy South Carolina, Rate Review
• SC Daily Gazette, “Dominion Energy settles on nearly 8% electricity rate hike in SC,” May 11, 2026
• AARP South Carolina, “What’s Happening With Dominion Energy’s Rates?”
• South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, consumer information on Dominion Energy South Carolina’s request