Beginning in January, Duke Energy will adjust customer bills in South Carolina to account for recovery costs from Hurricane Helene, grid improvements, and upgrades to power plants. These changes follow approval by the Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSCSC) for both Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) and Duke Energy Progress (DEP).
Tim Pearson, president of Duke Energy’s South Carolina operations, stated: “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.”
To address expenses from Hurricane Helene, the PSCSC approved a securitization plan allowing DEC to sell low-interest bonds. This approach is expected to save DEC customers over $140 million compared to traditional cost recovery methods. Starting in January, a typical residential DEC customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month will see a new storm charge on their bill—a 3.2% increase or $4.58—while still achieving an estimated 20% savings over time.
Pearson acknowledged legislative support: “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 invested in grid modernization and generation fleet upgrades aimed at improving reliability and resilience against storms. Over the past two years, self-healing technology coverage has expanded significantly; more than 70% of South Carolina customers now benefit from automated power restoration systems.
Pearson commented: “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 with stakeholders that will apply these tax credits directly to customer bills and include shareholder-funded contributions for residential accounts. These measures aim to help offset recent infrastructure investment impacts over the next two years.
For DEP residential customers using 1,000 kWh per month, monthly electric bills will rise by about $11.20 starting February 1—from $153.82 up to $165.02. For DEC residential customers with similar usage levels, monthly bills will increase by approximately $0.84 beginning March 1—from $148.02 up to $148.86 (including the new storm charge).
DEC serves roughly 680,000 households and businesses mainly in Upstate and north central South Carolina—including Greenville, Anderson and York counties—while DEP covers about 177,000 customers in northeastern areas such as Sumter, Florence and Darlington counties.
If regulators approve a proposed merger between DEC and DEP in 2026, company estimates suggest it could result in more than $1 billion saved for Carolinas’ ratepayers.
Pearson said: “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 reports its energy efficiency initiatives across North Carolina and South Carolina deliver annual savings exceeding national averages by about 150%. The company has increased incentives for many programs available statewide so more residents can reduce consumption—and costs.
Further information on these programs can be found at duke-energy.com/SeasonalSavings.
Duke Energy Carolinas owns capacity totaling 20,800 megawatts serving nearly three million residential, commercial and industrial users across parts of North Carolina and South Carolina.
Duke Energy Progress supplies electricity through its own network with a capacity of 13,800 megawatts reaching approximately 1.8 million users within both states.
Overall parent company Duke Energy operates electric utilities serving over eight million U.S.-based consumers across six states while owning total generating capacity above fifty-five thousand megawatts.
