Horry Electric Cooperative Rate Selection Guide
Horry Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, non-profit electric distribution cooperative serving roughly 99,000 meters in Horry County, South Carolina. Founded in 1940, it provides billing and usage data through the MyEnergy Online portal and the CEPCI-operated Central Meter Hub, and supports third-party access via Nectar's API.
Horry Electric Cooperative Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large Power 75-1,000 kVA | industrial | $0.0673/kWh energy; $17.50/kW peak; $7.50/day account; ($0.0025)/kWh WPCA | Mid-size industrial and large commercial facilities with 75-1,000 kVA demand |
| Large Power >1,000 kVA | industrial | $0.0726/kWh energy; $18.00/kW peak; $25.00/day account; ($0.0025)/kWh WPCA | Large industrial loads exceeding 1,000 kVA |
| General Service | commercial | Account + Energy ($/kWh) + Peak ($/kW) + WPCA (per-unit values on Rate Center) | Standard commercial accounts below Large Power thresholds |
Market Overview
South Carolina cooperative members do not have retail electric choice. Horry Electric is member-owned and governed by an elected board; wholesale power is supplied by Central Electric Power Cooperative (CEPCI). C&I members take service under Horry Electric's published rate schedules and cannot select a competitive retail supplier.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Horry Electric Cooperative Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Verified commercial and large-power rates from Horry Electric's Rate Center. The commercial structure has three components plus the Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (WPCA): Account Charge (per day), Energy Charge (per kWh), and Peak Charge (per kW of highest one-hour peak usage). Summer peak hours are 3-6 p.m. (Apr 1-Oct 31); winter peak hours are 6-9 a.m. (Nov 1-Mar 31). Large Power rate values below are verified from the published Rate 940/945 pages.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Service | commercial | Standard commercial accounts not qualifying for Large Power. | Account Charge + Energy Charge ($/kWh) + Peak Charge ($/kW of highest one-hour peak usage) + WPCA. Specific per-unit General Service values are published on the General Service rate page and via the rate calculator; verify current figures with Horry Electric. | — |
| General Service Solar | commercial | Commercial accounts with on-site solar generation. | General Service component structure adapted for solar net billing; see the General Service Solar rate page for components. | — |
| Large Power 75-1,000 kVA (Rate 940) | industrial | Large commercial/industrial accounts, 75-1,000 kVA. | Account Charge $7.50/day; Energy Charge $0.0673/kWh; Peak Charge $17.50/kW (highest one hour during peak); WPCA ($0.0025)/kWh. | — |
| Large Power >1,000 kVA (Rate 945) | industrial | Largest industrial accounts, greater than 1,000 kVA. | Account Charge $25.00/day; Energy Charge $0.0726/kWh; Peak Charge $18.00/kW (highest one hour during peak); WPCA ($0.0025)/kWh. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Large industrial facility (>1,000 kVA)
Facilities on Rate 945 face an $18.00/kW peak charge and $0.0726/kWh energy; demand management is the dominant cost lever.
The single-hour peak determines the monthly demand charge, so even brief coincident load during peak windows is costly.
- Stagger large motor and process startups outside peak windows
- Pre-cool or pre-heat ahead of the 3-hour peak window
- Monitor daily Central Meter Hub data to find peak-setting events
Mid-size commercial / light industrial (75-1,000 kVA)
Rate 940 carries a $17.50/kW peak charge and $0.0673/kWh energy with a low $7.50/day account charge.
Most savings come from trimming the peak-hour demand rather than total consumption, given the low energy rate.
- Use BMS scheduling to avoid simultaneous HVAC + equipment peaks
- Evaluate battery storage to shave the one-hour peak
- Connect via Nectar's API for automated demand tracking (docs.nectarclimate.com)
Small business / standard commercial
Standard General Service accounts still pay a peak-based component, so peak awareness matters even at smaller scale.
Shifting discretionary load and considering on-site solar can reduce both energy and peak components.
- Avoid running high-draw equipment during peak windows
- Evaluate the General Service Solar rate if adding rooftop solar
- Set high-usage alerts in MyEnergy Online
Energy/analytics platform integrating Horry Electric data
With no public API or Green Button from the utility, integrate Horry Electric accounts through Nectar's API.
Nectar provides API access to Horry Electric billing, usage, and tariff data with customer authorization, avoiding a direct utility integration that is not offered.
- Review the docs at docs.nectarclimate.com
- Use customer-authorized account linking
- Supplement with Central Meter Hub daily data where deeper granularity is needed
Historical Rate Trends
In October 2024 Horry Electric introduced a time-differentiated rate structure adding explicit peak-hour Peak Charges and a redesigned bill, shifting more cost recovery to demand during narrow daily peak windows.
October 1, 2024
Introduced peak/off-peak structure with explicit Peak Charge and redesigned itemized bill (Account, Energy, Peak, WPCA).
n/aOverall trend: Increasing emphasis on demand/peak pricing; energy charges remain relatively low via CEPCI wholesale supply.
Next expected change: Rate components are reviewed by the cooperative board; monitor the Rate Center for updates.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because the Peak Charge is set by the single highest one-hour usage during peak windows, the highest-leverage strategy for Horry Electric C&I members is peak-hour load management.
Peak-window load shifting
For: General Service and Large Power C&I accounts
Shift HVAC pre-cooling, batch processes, and EV/equipment charging out of the 3-6 p.m. summer and 6-9 a.m. winter peak windows.
Demand monitoring via Central Meter Hub
For: All C&I members
Use daily Central Meter Hub data (or Nectar API exports) to identify which days and hours set the monthly peak, then target those loads.
C&I lighting and efficiency rebates
For: Commercial facilities
Use the Commercial & Industrial Lighting Rebate and efficiency programs to cut both energy and contributing peak load.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Horry Electric Cooperative interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a C&I customer get interval usage data from Horry Electric?▾
Horry Electric does not publish 15- or 30-minute interval data. Daily consumption is available through the CEPCI Central Meter Hub (centralmeterhub.cepci.org), which uses Microsoft login and requires setup coordination (allow 5-10 business days). The data is for informational use and is not billing-ready. For standardized exports, use Nectar's API — see docs.nectarclimate.com.
Does Horry Electric support Green Button or a public API?▾
No. Horry Electric has not implemented Green Button Download My Data or Connect My Data, and it does not offer a documented public REST API. Nectar provides API access to this utility's billing and interval data for C&I energy platforms — see docs.nectarclimate.com.
How are commercial demand charges calculated?▾
Commercial Peak Charges are based on the single highest one-hour usage during peak periods. Summer peak hours are 3-6 p.m. (April 1 - October 31) and winter peak hours are 6-9 a.m. (November 1 - March 31). Because one hour of high usage sets the full monthly demand charge, shifting load out of these windows is the primary cost-control lever.
Can a third-party consultant access our Horry Electric data?▾
There is no formal third-party authorization portal. Practical options are: (1) connect via Nectar's API (docs.nectarclimate.com), (2) email service@horryelectric.com to authorize a consultant for Central Meter Hub access, or (3) have the customer download bill PDFs and share directly.
What rate schedules apply to commercial and industrial members?▾
General Service applies to standard commercial accounts; Large Power 75-1,000 kVA (Rate 940) and Large Power greater than 1,000 kVA (Rate 945) apply to larger demand accounts. All include an Account Charge, Energy Charge, Peak Charge, and WPCA. A General Service Solar option is also available.
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