Duke Energy boosts energy efficiency incentives in South Carolina.

Duke Energy has increased incentives for residential and business energy efficiency programs in South Carolina, making it a more rewarding time to save energy and money. Some incentives have doubled or tripled, and the Public Service Commission of South Carolina has approved the updates. The S.C. Energy Security Act has also highlighted the importance of these programs and paved the way for potential expansions.

Duke Energy has significantly increased financial incentives for its residential and business energy efficiency and demand response programs in South Carolina. The Public Service Commission of South Carolina (PSCSC) approved these updates, which were launched on August 1, 2025. The enhancements aim to provide customers with more savings and better control over their energy usage.

Residential customers can now benefit from a variety of new and expanded programs. The Home Energy House Call, a free home energy assessment, includes customized free energy efficiency products such as smart power strips, efficient showerheads, and caulking. Additionally, home improvement rebates have been expanded to cover various energy-efficient upgrades, including insulation, water heaters, and smart thermostats through the Smart $aver® program. Customers can also earn increased bill credits for shifting their energy use, with new incentives for electric water heater owners through Power Manager® and EnergyWise Home® [1].

Business customers have also seen increased incentives. The PowerShare® program, which involves voluntary large customer load curtailment, has increased capacity credits from $3.50 to $5 per kW for decreasing energy use in certain program options. The EnergyWise Business program, similar to PowerShare and EnergyWise Home but for business customers, has also seen increased customer incentives. Many of the company’s energy efficiency business program incentive amounts have increased on average by 20%-25% [1].

Furthermore, Duke Energy has updated its assistance programs to offer more options for energy savings for those who need it most. Customers struggling to pay their energy bills may qualify for assistance from various government and nonprofit programs for utility bills and other household expenses. Duke Energy offers programs and resources to help customers manage their usage, as well as flexible payment arrangements, including the Share the Light Fund® [1].

The recent enactment of the S.C. Energy Security Act has highlighted the importance of these types of programs and paved the way for potential expansions in the future [1].

References:
[1] https://news.duke-energy.com/releases/duke-energy-increases-financial-incentives-for-customer-energy-efficiency-and-demand-response-programs-in-south-carolina
[2] https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20250804cl43552/duke-energy-increases-financial-incentives-for-customer-energy-efficiency-and-demand-response-programs-in-south-carolina