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Santee Cooper Peak Hours: 3–6 PM Apr–Oct
Santee Cooper's peak hours are 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. from April through October and 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. from November through March. They matter on both residential rates: time-of-use (RT) customers pay 33.80¢ per kWh in peak hours versus 7.92¢ off-peak, and standard-rate (RG) customers pay an $8.00 per kW demand charge on their highest hour of use during peak hours. At the widest gap (summer), power costs 33.8¢ per kWh in on-peak hours and 7.92¢ in off-peak hours.
Checked by hand against Santee Cooper residential rates on . Prices effective April 1, 2025. Utilities change these rates, so check your bill or Santee Cooper before you plan around them.
Santee Cooper peak hours, hour by hour
Plan: Residential Time-of-Use (RT-25). Optional. The standard residential rate (RG-25) uses the same peak hours for its demand charge.
On-peakOff-peak
| Hour | Summer every day April–October | Winter every day November–March |
|---|---|---|
| midnight–1 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 1 a.m.–2 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 2 a.m.–3 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 3 a.m.–4 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 4 a.m.–5 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 5 a.m.–6 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 6 a.m.–7 a.m. | Off-peak | On-peak |
| 7 a.m.–8 a.m. | Off-peak | On-peak |
| 8 a.m.–9 a.m. | Off-peak | On-peak |
| 9 a.m.–10 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 10 a.m.–11 a.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 11 a.m.–noon | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| noon–1 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 1 p.m.–2 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 2 p.m.–3 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 3 p.m.–4 p.m. | On-peak | Off-peak |
| 4 p.m.–5 p.m. | On-peak | Off-peak |
| 5 p.m.–6 p.m. | On-peak | Off-peak |
| 6 p.m.–7 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 7 p.m.–8 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 8 p.m.–9 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 9 p.m.–10 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 10 p.m.–11 p.m. | Off-peak | Off-peak |
| 11 p.m.–midnight | Off-peak | Off-peak |
The rate schedule lists the peak hours without exceptions for weekends or holidays.
Santee Cooper time-of-use prices
| Season | Period | Weekday hours | Weekends | Price per kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer April–October | On-peak | 3 p.m.–6 p.m. | 3 p.m.–6 p.m. | 33.8¢ |
| Summer April–October | Off-peak | 6 p.m.–3 p.m. | 6 p.m.–3 p.m. | 7.92¢ |
| Winter November–March | On-peak | 6 a.m.–9 a.m. | 6 a.m.–9 a.m. | 33.8¢ |
| Winter November–March | Off-peak | 9 a.m.–6 a.m. | 9 a.m.–6 a.m. | 7.92¢ |
Base energy charge per kWh from the RT-25 rate schedule. Santee Cooper's fuel adjustment is added on the bill. Fixed charge: A customer charge of $20.00 a month.
On the standard RG-25 rate, energy costs 7.92¢ per kWh at any hour, plus $8.00 per kW for your single highest hour of use during these peak hours each month. Running the dryer, oven and heat pump at the same time in a peak hour raises that charge.
Santee Cooper's board approved a 4.7% residential increase for 2027 on October 30, 2026, with a new "Balanced Demand Billing" method. New prices were not yet published when we checked.
What an hour of use costs: on-peak vs off-peak
One hour of each appliance at Santee Cooper's summer prices (33.8¢ vs 7.92¢ per kWh), using the typical wattage from our appliance usage pages.
| Appliance | kWh per hour | On-peak | Off-peak | You save |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central AC | 3.5 | $1.18 | $0.28 | $0.91 |
| Clothes Dryer | 3.0 | $1.01 | $0.24 | $0.78 |
| Dishwasher | 1.5 | $0.51 | $0.12 | $0.39 |
| Electric Vehicle Charger | 7.2 | $2.43 | $0.57 | $1.86 |
Other Santee Cooper plans
- Residential General Service (RG-25, standard): 7.92¢ per kWh plus $8.00/kW on your highest hour in the same peak hours.
- Residential EV (REV-25): Super off-peak 11 p.m.–5 a.m. at 4.18¢ per kWh, plus the $8.00/kW peak-hour demand charge.
How Santee Cooper prices compare with the South Carolina average
The average home in South Carolina paid 15.76¢ per kWh in the latest month of EIA data, all charges included and averaged over every hour of the day. See South Carolina's month-by-month price history.
EIA data for , updated · Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration
All South Carolina utilities · Average electric bill in South Carolina
Questions about Santee Cooper peak hours
What are Santee Cooper peak hours?
Santee Cooper's peak hours are 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. from April through October and 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. from November through March. They matter on both residential rates: time-of-use (RT) customers pay 33.80¢ per kWh in peak hours versus 7.92¢ off-peak, and standard-rate (RG) customers pay an $8.00 per kW demand charge on their highest hour of use during peak hours.
Are weekends off-peak with Santee Cooper?
No. On Santee Cooper's time-of-use rate (RT-25), the peak hours apply on weekends too. The rate schedule lists the peak hours without exceptions for weekends or holidays.
What is the cheapest time to use electricity with Santee Cooper?
The off-peak hours: 6 p.m.–3 p.m. every day in summer (April–October), at 7.92¢ per kWh, against 33.8¢ in the on-peak hours.
How much more does electricity cost during Santee Cooper peak hours?
33.8¢ per kWh in peak hours in summer (April–October), 4.3 times the off-peak price of 7.92¢. Base energy charge per kWh from the RT-25 rate schedule. Santee Cooper's fuel adjustment is added on the bill.
Do Santee Cooper peak hours change with the seasons?
Yes. Peak hours are 3 p.m.–6 p.m. every day in summer (April–October); 6 a.m.–9 a.m. every day in winter (November–March).
Sources
We read Santee Cooper's own rate pages and tariffs on Nov 11, 2026 and copied the hours and prices by hand. These are the published prices for one plan, not a quote; your bill also depends on taxes, riders and how much you use. How we work.
Peak hours for 15 utilities · South Carolina electricity prices