Heat pump vs. furnace in South Carolina by electric utility

The answer depends on your electric utility. Pick yours to see the numbers for your rates, your weather and the rebates you can get.

Average electricity

15.8¢/kWh

South Carolina residential, last 12 months

Winter gas

$1.63/therm

Nov–Mar average (EIA)

Utilities covered

20

Heat pump ahead at any quote for 11

Statewide rebates

Not checked yet

Numbers leave rebates out

What to know about the South Carolina numbers

  • Rebates not checked yet. We haven't checked heat pump rebates in South Carolina yet, so the numbers here leave them out. Utility and state programs can take thousands off a heat pump, so ask your utility and your contractor what's available.
  • Mostly average prices. Only 47% of South Carolina ZIP codes here are priced on a current utility tariff. The rest use the utility's average price from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, which is about two years old and doesn't show tiers, so the winter price of extra kWh is estimated. Enter the rate from a recent bill for a closer answer.
  • Time-of-use rates. 3 utilities' tariffs here charge different prices by time of day. We assume heating and cooling use is spread evenly across the day, which can be off if most of yours falls in peak hours.
  • Regional fuel prices. EIA doesn't publish a South Carolina price for every fuel: propane uses the regional average and heating oil uses the regional average. Enter your own price if you heat with it.
20 utilities