Aiken Electric Cooperative Rate Selection Guide
Aiken Electric Cooperative is a member-owned rural electric cooperative serving roughly 53,000 accounts across four counties in western South Carolina. As a smaller distribution cooperative, it offers basic self-service billing access through its web portal and mobile app but no Green Button, third-party API, or formal EDI program. C&I rates are set by the cooperative board and published as fixed tariff schedules.
Aiken Electric Cooperative Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule ISD (Large Power) | Industrial | $14.00/kW demand + $0.050-$0.070/kWh energy | Three-phase facilities over 750 kVA |
| Single Phase Large Power | Commercial | $0.0640/kWh + $12.00/kW peak | Single-phase commercial with managed peak windows |
| Schedule SI (Small Non-Res) | Commercial | $0.115-$0.140/kWh (tiered) | Small commercial / agricultural loads, no demand charge |
| Schedule IST-2 | Industrial | Demand + energy (see tariff) | Large legacy three-phase industrial |
Market Overview
South Carolina has no retail electric competition. Aiken Electric Cooperative is a member-owned distribution cooperative whose rates are set by its elected board (not the SC PSC). Members cannot select a competitive supplier; the cooperative is the exclusive provider in its territory. Wholesale power is supplied through Central Electric Power Cooperative.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Aiken Electric Cooperative Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Aiken Electric publishes fixed tariff schedules effective on bills rendered on or after January 1, 2025. All schedules are subject to a Power Cost Adjustment (PCA / Monthly Adjustment Factor) and South Carolina sales tax. C&I options range from the Small Non-Residential (SI) single-phase schedule to demand-metered Large Power Service (ISD) for three-phase loads over 750 kVA. Dollar figures below are taken directly from the published 2025 tariff sheets.
Effective: January 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Power Service - Schedule ISD | industrial | Three-phase loads requiring more than 750 kVA of installed transformer capacity. | Service charge $4.20/day; demand charge $14.00 per kW (all kW); energy charge tiered by kWh per kW of billing demand: $0.070/kWh (first 200 kWh/kW), $0.060/kWh (next 200), $0.050/kWh (over 400). Billing demand = max 15-minute kW, power-factor adjusted below 85%. Subject to PCA. | $0.050-$0.070/kWh energy (tiered)+ $14.00/kW per month |
| Single Phase Large Power Service | commercial | Non-residential single-phase large-power accounts, permanent year-round, one meter. | Account charge $2.35/day; energy $0.0640/kWh (all kWh, both seasons); peak charge $12.00/kW based on highest hourly usage during 3-7 PM (summer) or 6-9 AM (winter). Subject to Monthly Adjustment Factor. | $0.0640/kWh energy+ $12.00/kW (time-window peak) |
| Small Non-Residential Single-Phase Service - Schedule SI | commercial | Small permanent single-phase commercial loads (irrigation, wells, barns, shops, equipment sheds); motors over 10 HP must be three-phase. | Service charge $1.50/day; tiered energy by season. Summer (Jul-Oct): $0.140 first 500 kWh, $0.127 next 1,000, $0.132 over 1,500. Winter (Nov-Jun): $0.140 first 500, $0.127 next 1,000, $0.115 over 1,500. Subject to Schedule PCA. | $0.115-$0.140/kWh (tiered, seasonal)+ None (energy-only) |
| Large Power Service - Schedule IST-2 | industrial | Large three-phase power loads (legacy IST-2 schedule documented in the cooperative tariff book and OpenEI USURDB). | Demand-plus-energy structure for large three-phase loads. Specific 2025 dollar figures not confirmed from a primary source at research time; refer to the published tariff sheet and OpenEI USURDB (utility ID #162) for the current values. | See tariff sheet (not independently verified)+ Demand-based (see tariff) |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Three-phase industrial facility over 750 kVA
Manufacturing or large industrial sites should take Schedule ISD and treat demand and power factor as the primary cost levers.
ISD offers declining-block energy ($0.050-$0.070/kWh) but bills $14.00/kW on the monthly 15-minute peak with a power-factor penalty below 85%. Controlling peak and PF is where the savings are.
- Install demand monitoring to catch the 15-minute peak
- Hold power factor at or above 85% with capacitors
- Consider battery peak-shaving on the demand interval
Single-phase commercial large power with flexible operations
Single-phase commercial accounts that can shift load should use the Single Phase Large Power schedule and manage the peak clock windows.
Flat $0.0640/kWh energy plus a $12.00/kW peak charge that only applies 3-7 PM (summer) / 6-9 AM (winter) — avoidable load during those windows directly lowers the bill.
- Schedule heavy loads outside the peak clock windows
- Track which interval sets your monthly peak
- Enable usage alerts in the portal
Small commercial / agricultural load (no demand metering)
Small steady single-phase loads such as wells, shops, and irrigation are usually best on Schedule SI.
SI has no demand charge and tiered energy ($0.115-$0.140/kWh). For low-demand loads this avoids the demand component entirely.
- Watch the seasonal tier breakpoints (Summer Jul-Oct vs Winter Nov-Jun)
- Keep motors over 10 HP on three-phase service
- Confirm transformer-capacity minimum charge applies above 15 kVA
Energy manager needing usage data for benchmarking
Because Aiken Electric has no Green Button or API, build your data pipeline around manual exports and portal screenshots.
No automated data feed exists. Plan for a signed authorization and 5-10 business-day manual export turnaround when sourcing interval/demand data.
- Submit a member authorization letter early
- Request demand and PF data for ISD accounts in writing
- Capture monthly PDF bills for trend analysis
Historical Rate Trends
Aiken Electric's published C&I schedules carry an effective date of January 1, 2025. Month-to-month bills move primarily with the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA / Monthly Adjustment Factor), which reflects changes in wholesale power cost from Central Electric Power Cooperative rather than discrete base-rate filings. A documented historical percentage series for base rates was not available from a primary source at research time.
January 1, 2025
Current C&I tariff schedules (ISD, Single Phase Large Power, SI) effective for bills rendered on or after this date.
N/A (schedule effective date)Overall trend: Base C&I tariffs are stable board-set schedules; near-term bill variation is driven by the floating Power Cost Adjustment tied to wholesale power costs.
Next expected change: Monthly PCA adjustments are ongoing; the next base-rate revision would be set by board action (date not published).
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because Aiken Electric C&I bills are dominated by demand charges and a floating Power Cost Adjustment, the highest-leverage savings for commercial and industrial members come from peak-demand management and power-factor correction rather than supplier shopping (which is unavailable).
Peak demand reduction (ISD)
For: Three-phase industrial on ISD
On Schedule ISD the $14.00/kW charge is set by the single highest 15-minute demand interval each month. Staggering equipment starts, load-shifting, and battery/peak-shaving can directly cut this charge.
Power-factor correction
For: Demand-metered industrial (ISD)
ISD billing demand is increased 1% for each 1% the average power factor falls below 85% lagging. Installing capacitors to hold PF near unity avoids the penalty uplift on demand.
Shift load out of peak clock windows
For: Single-phase commercial large power
Single Phase Large Power applies a $12.00/kW peak charge only during 3-7 PM (summer) and 6-9 AM (winter). Moving discretionary load outside these windows reduces the billed peak.
Right-size the tariff
For: All C&I
Compare SI tiered energy-only pricing against demand-metered schedules. Small steady loads may pay less on SI; high-demand loads benefit from ISD's lower energy tiers despite the demand charge.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Aiken Electric Cooperative interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Aiken Electric Cooperative offer Green Button or an API for C&I usage data?▾
No. Aiken Electric does not provide Green Button Download/Connect My Data, a developer API, or a formal EDI program. Commercial and industrial usage or demand data must be requested manually from member services, typically delivered as PDF within 5-10 business days.
How are demand charges calculated for large industrial accounts?▾
On Schedule ISD the billing demand is the maximum kilowatt demand over any 15 consecutive minutes during the month, recorded by a demand meter, billed at $14.00/kW. The demand is increased 1% for each 1% the average power factor falls below 85% lagging, so power-factor correction directly reduces the charge.
Can my business shop for a competitive electricity supplier in Aiken's territory?▾
No. South Carolina has no retail electric choice and Aiken Electric is a member-owned cooperative that is the sole provider in its territory. Cost optimization comes from rate-schedule selection, demand management, and power-factor correction rather than supplier shopping.
What C&I rate schedules are available and which fits my load?▾
Options include Schedule SI (small single-phase, energy-only, $0.115-$0.140/kWh), Single Phase Large Power ($0.0640/kWh + $12.00/kW peak), and Schedule ISD for three-phase loads over 750 kVA ($14.00/kW demand + $0.050-$0.070/kWh tiered energy). Low-demand loads favor SI; high-demand three-phase loads favor ISD's lower energy tiers.
How does the Power Cost Adjustment affect my monthly bill?▾
All Aiken Electric schedules are subject to a Power Cost Adjustment (Monthly Adjustment Factor) that floats with the wholesale power cost from Central Electric Power Cooperative. This is the main reason month-to-month bills change even when your usage is steady.
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