Beginning in January, Duke Energy will introduce changes to customer bills in South Carolina to account for recovery from Hurricane Helene, investments in grid reliability, and upgrades to power plants. These measures aim to address the costs associated with storm damage while supporting economic growth and serving a growing customer base.
Tim Pearson, Duke Energy’s South Carolina president, said, “Duke Energy is committed to meeting the expectations our customers have around reliability, responsiveness and value – striking the right balance that delivers these at the lowest possible cost for customers. That means investing in what matters, delivering results efficiently, and remaining transparent about what customers are paying for and why.”
The Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSCSC) approved updates for Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) and Duke Energy Progress (DEP), the company’s two utilities operating in the state.
To recover costs from Hurricane Helene, Duke Energy will use securitization—selling low-interest, long-term bonds—to reduce expenses. This plan is expected to save DEC customers more than $140 million on hurricane-related costs. Starting in January, a typical residential DEC customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see a new storm charge resulting in a 3.2% increase ($4.58). According to Pearson, “We appreciate the legislature providing tools like securitization to address extreme storm costs as we continue to pursue ways to reduce these impacts on customer bills.”
Duke Energy has also made investments to improve grid reliability and upgrade its generation fleet. The company reports that over 70% of South Carolina customers now benefit from self-healing technology designed for automated power restoration—a significant increase over the past two years. Pearson stated, “Meeting the needs of our customers means prioritizing investments that enhance the grid while also minimizing the cost impact for customers. For example, Duke Energy’s nuclear units are expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars of annual tax credits in the coming years – savings that will be passed to our customers beginning in 2026.”
The PSCSC recently approved agreements among stakeholders that apply these tax credits directly to bills and include shareholder-funded contributions for residential customers. These steps are intended to lessen bill increases related to recent infrastructure improvements over the next two years.
For DEP customers using 1,000 kWh per month, monthly electric bills will rise by about $11.20 starting February 1—from $153.82 to $165.02. For DEC residential customers with similar usage levels, monthly bills will increase by about $0.84 beginning March 1—from $148.02 to $148.86; this includes the previously mentioned securitization charge.
DEC serves approximately 680,000 households and businesses primarily in Upstate and north central South Carolina—including Greenville, Anderson and York counties—while DEP serves around 177,000 customers in northeastern areas such as Sumter, Florence and Darlington counties.
If regulators approve a proposed combination of DEC and DEP utilities in 2026, it could result in more than $1 billion in future savings for Carolinas’ customers.
Pearson added: “Customers expect us to manage our costs, but they also want options to manage their own energy usage and give them tools to impact their own bills. That’s why we’re helping customers lower their energy use – and lower their bills – through programs that make a measurable difference.”
Duke Energy highlights its energy efficiency programs across North Carolina and South Carolina as being well above national averages; these initiatives have recently expanded incentives available for South Carolina residents seeking ways to reduce energy consumption.
More information on cost-saving programs is available at duke-energy.com/SeasonalSavings.
Duke Energy Carolinas supplies electricity across a service area covering parts of North Carolina and South Carolina with an energy capacity of 20,800 megawatts serving 2.9 million users; Duke Energy Progress operates similarly with an energy capacity of 13,800 megawatts serving another 1.8 million users across both states.
Duke Energy Corporation is headquartered in Charlotte with operations spanning several states including Florida.
