Santee Cooper Rate Selection Guide
Santee Cooper (South Carolina Public Service Authority) is South Carolina's state-owned electric and water utility serving about 216,000 direct retail electric customers. Customers access billing and AMI usage data through the My Energy Link (MEL) portal; there is no Green Button, public API, or EDI program for automated third-party data access.
Santee Cooper Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GA-25 | commercial | 7.05 / 6.05 cents/kWh (on/off-peak); demand $12.21/kW | Small businesses under 50 kW |
| GB-25 | commercial | 5.01 / 4.01 cents/kWh; demand $24.95/kW | Mid-size commercial, 50-300 kW |
| GL-25 | commercial | 4.81 / 3.81 cents/kWh; demand $25.73/kW | Large commercial >300 kW (distribution) |
| GT-25 | commercial | 5.01 / 4.01 cents/kWh; demand $27.42 on-peak / $14.92 off-peak per kW | General service customers who can shift load off-peak |
| L-25 (Large Light & Power) | industrial | Transmission-level firm service + riders (incl. real-time Economy Power) | Industrial loads >=1,000 kW |
Market Overview
Santee Cooper is a not-for-profit state-owned utility. Its Board of Directors sets retail electric rates through a public rate-study process (it is not rate-regulated by the SC Public Service Commission like IOUs). There is no competitive retail electric supplier choice in its territory.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Santee Cooper Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Verified commercial and industrial rates effective with bills rendered on/after April 1, 2025. Commercial schedules are time-of-use: on-peak is 5-9 a.m. Nov-Mar and 3-7 p.m. Apr-Oct. The GA class adopted a three-part rate with a demand charge based on the highest 30-minute demand. Energy and demand figures below are from Santee Cooper's published rate descriptions; customer charges, Fuel Adjustment Clause, and other adjustment clauses are additional and not reflected in these per-kWh values.
Effective: April 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small General Service (GA-25) | commercial | Mandatory for commercial customers with less than 50 kW potential demand. Three-part TOU rate. | Energy: 7.05 cents/kWh on-peak, 6.05 cents/kWh off-peak. Demand: $12.21/kW (highest 30-minute demand). Plus customer charge and adjustment clauses (FAC, etc.). On-peak 5-9 a.m. Nov-Mar; 3-7 p.m. Apr-Oct. | — |
| General Service (GB-25) | commercial | Mandatory for customers with 50-300 kW of potential demand. | Energy: 5.01 cents/kWh on-peak, 4.01 cents/kWh off-peak. Demand: $24.95/kW. Plus customer charge and adjustment clauses. On-peak 5-9 a.m. Nov-Mar; 3-7 p.m. Apr-Oct. | — |
| Large General Service (GL-25) | commercial | Mandatory for distribution-voltage customers with more than 300 kW demand. | Energy: 4.81 cents/kWh on-peak, 3.81 cents/kWh off-peak. Demand: $25.73/kW. Plus customer charge and adjustment clauses. On-peak 5-9 a.m. Nov-Mar; 3-7 p.m. Apr-Oct. | — |
| General Service Time-of-Use (GT-25) | commercial | Optional TOU rate for customers meeting General Service eligibility. | Energy: 5.01 cents/kWh on-peak, 4.01 cents/kWh off-peak. Demand: $27.42/kW on-peak, $14.92/kW off-peak. Plus customer charge and adjustment clauses. | — |
| Seasonal General Service (GV-25) | commercial | Voluntary rate for seasonal businesses. | Energy: 4.76 cents/kWh on-peak, 3.76 cents/kWh off-peak. Demand: $26.23/kW. Plus customer charge and adjustment clauses. | — |
| Large Light & Power Schedule (L-25) | industrial | Industrial customers contracting for at least 1,000 kW and served from/near the transmission system; six optional riders (Interruptible, Economy Power/real-time, Large Load, Distributed Generation, Economic Development, Demand Response Buy Back). | Firm transmission-level service priced via the Large Light & Power schedule plus selected riders; real-time pricing available under the Economy Power rider. Specific demand/energy charges per the published L-25 schedule; consult Industrial Services at 843-761-4063. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial cutting demand charges
Shift and shave load out of the short on-peak windows and manage the 30-minute peak to reduce GB/GL demand charges of $24.95-$25.73/kW.
Demand charges dominate the bill and on-peak windows are only 4 hours, so peak management is highly effective.
- Stagger equipment startup
- Use demand alerts/monitoring
- Avoid 5-9 a.m. (winter) and 3-7 p.m. (summer) peaks
Large industrial / data center load
Take Large Light & Power (L-25) and layer Interruptible or real-time Economy Power riders to align cost with operations.
Transmission-level service with flexible riders fits high, curtailable, or schedulable loads >=1,000 kW.
- Call Industrial Services 843-761-4063
- Model Interruptible vs firm
- Evaluate Economy Power real-time pricing
Load-shiftable general service customer
Elect the GT-25 TOU rate if you can move usage off-peak, and verify class against actual demand.
Off-peak energy and lower off-peak demand pricing reward flexible operations.
- Analyze interval load shape
- Compare GT vs standard GB/GL
- Consider GV if seasonal
Reducing overall commercial energy spend
Use EmpowerBusiness audits and prescriptive rebates (lighting, HVAC, smart thermostats) to cut both energy and demand.
Efficiency reduces both the kWh and the peak-kW components of TOU bills.
- Apply for Small Business Energy Saver
- Capture prescriptive rebates
- Target peak-coincident loads
Historical Rate Trends
Santee Cooper reset commercial rates effective April 1, 2025, including new three-part GA pricing and updated TOU windows. In 2026 it proposed a further multi-year increase.
April 1, 2025
New base rates for the commercial class took effect, adding a three-part rate (demand charge) for GA and updating TOU on-peak windows (5-9 a.m. Nov-Mar; 3-7 p.m. Apr-Oct).
varies by classMay 1, 2026
Santee Cooper proposed raising electric rates more than 9% over two years; industrial and commercial customers would see roughly 2.1%-2.9% per year in the out-years.
~9% over 2 yearsOverall trend: Rising; commercial/industrial classes face continued increases under the 2026 rate-study proposal.
Next expected change: A 2026 proposal would raise commercial and industrial rates roughly 2.1%-2.9% per year (for the 2027 and 2028 years), pending approval.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because commercial rates are TOU with significant demand charges and very short on-peak windows, the biggest savings come from shifting and shaving demand during the 4-hour peak periods.
Shift load out of the on-peak window
For: GA, GB, GL, GT customers
Avoid running high-demand equipment during 5-9 a.m. (Nov-Mar) and 3-7 p.m. (Apr-Oct) to cut on-peak energy and demand charges.
Demand management / peak shaving
For: GA (three-part), GB, GL, GT
Use energy-monitoring and staggered equipment scheduling to hold the highest 30-minute demand down, since demand charges run $12-$27/kW.
Verify correct rate class and consider GT/GV
For: All commercial customers
Confirm class assignment by demand size; load-shiftable customers may benefit from optional GT TOU or seasonal GV.
Industrial riders (Interruptible / Economy Power)
For: Large Light & Power (>=1,000 kW) customers
Industrial customers on L-25 can add Interruptible or real-time Economy Power riders to lower energy cost when they can curtail or align operations.
Small Business Energy Saver & rebates
For: Commercial customers
Use EmpowerBusiness audits and prescriptive rebates (smart thermostats, lighting, HVAC) to reduce both energy and demand.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Santee Cooper interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Santee Cooper commercial rate applies to our facility?▾
Class is mandatory by demand: GA-25 for under 50 kW, GB-25 for 50-300 kW, and GL-25 for distribution-voltage customers above 300 kW. Customers can optionally elect the GT TOU or seasonal GV rate. Industrial sites contracting for 1,000 kW or more take the Large Light & Power (L-25) schedule. Verify with a Commercial Energy Advisor.
How are demand charges calculated and how big are they?▾
Demand is based on the highest 30-minute integrated demand in the billing cycle. Demand charges are roughly $12.21/kW (GA), $24.95/kW (GB), $25.73/kW (GL), and $27.42/kW on-peak ($14.92 off-peak) for GT. Managing peak demand during the 4-hour on-peak windows is the single biggest C&I cost lever.
Can we automate pulling our usage data into an energy platform?▾
No. Santee Cooper does not offer Green Button Connect, a public API, or aggregator integrations. MEL shows daily/near-real-time usage but does not export raw interval data; data must be saved as PDF/screenshots or requested manually from customer service with customer authorization.
When are the on-peak hours we should avoid?▾
On-peak is 5-9 a.m. November through March and 3-7 p.m. April through October. Shifting high-demand operations outside these 4-hour windows lowers both on-peak energy and demand charges.
What options do large industrial customers have to lower cost?▾
Customers contracting for at least 1,000 kW take the Large Light & Power (L-25) schedule and can add riders: Interruptible (curtailable), Economy Power (hourly real-time pricing), Large Load, Distributed Generation, Economic Development, and Demand Response Buy Back. Consult Industrial Services at 843-761-4063 for operating-cost estimates.
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