Laurens Electric Cooperative Rate Selection Guide
Laurens Electric Cooperative (LEC) is a member-owned utility serving about 64,000 members across seven Upstate South Carolina counties. C&I customers access billing data through the Meridian customer portal and month-to-date meter data through the Central Meter Hub operated by wholesale cooperative CEPCI.
Laurens Electric Cooperative Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Service (GS) | commercial | ~13.86 cents/kWh (EIA-derived commercial avg) + demand charge | Small to medium commercial accounts |
| Large Power (LP) | industrial | ~9.30 cents/kWh (EIA-derived industrial avg) + per-kW demand charge | Large industrial loads with high load factor |
| RGS-R Rider | commercial | Rider on top of base schedule (see filing) | Commercial accounts with on-site renewables |
Market Overview
Laurens Electric operates as a not-for-profit, member-owned distribution cooperative in South Carolina's regulated market. There is no competitive retail supplier shopping. Rate schedules are filed under Docket EC 19 with the SC PSC; wholesale power is supplied by CEPCI.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Laurens Electric Cooperative Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Laurens Electric rate schedules are filed under Docket EC 19 with the South Carolina Public Service Commission and include Residential (RES), General Service (GS), Large Power (LP), and riders. EIA-derived averages indicate commercial customers pay roughly 13.86 cents per kWh (about $406/month average) and industrial customers roughly 9.30 cents per kWh (about $22,783/month average, reflecting large loads). Commercial schedules include a per-kW demand charge based on the monthly maximum 15-minute demand.
Effective: June 1, 2022 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Service (GS) | commercial | Small and medium commercial customers. | Monthly customer charge plus energy charge per kWh; demand charge per kW for accounts above the demand threshold based on highest monthly 15-minute demand. EIA-derived commercial average ~13.86 cents/kWh. Filed under Docket EC 19. | — |
| Large Power (LP) | industrial | Large industrial and commercial customers. | Customer charge, energy charge per kWh, and per-kW demand charge based on monthly maximum 15-minute demand. EIA-derived industrial average ~9.30 cents/kWh. Filed under Docket EC 19. | — |
| Renewable Generation Seasonal Rider (RGS-R) | commercial | Commercial customers with on-site renewable generation. | Rider applied in conjunction with Residential, General Service, and Large Power rates. Effective on bills rendered on or after June 1, 2022. Filed under Docket EC 19. | — |
| School Rate | commercial | Schools and qualifying institutional accounts. | Energy and demand components per the filed school rate schedule. Filed under Docket EC 19. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Commercial facility on General Service with demand charges
Track and flatten the monthly 15-minute peak to reduce demand charges on the GS schedule.
Demand charges are billed on the single highest 15-minute interval; reducing it cuts the bill directly.
- Stagger large equipment startups
- Test infrequent equipment after the monthly meter read
- Monitor month-to-date usage via the Central Meter Hub
Large industrial load on Large Power
Improve load factor and manage demand on the LP schedule for the lowest effective per-kWh cost.
Industrial accounts achieve a low EIA-derived average (~9.30 cents/kWh) by maintaining high load factor and controlling peak demand.
- Maintain steady, high load factor
- Manage coincident peak across processes
- Consider on-site renewables with the RGS-R rider
Energy consultant managing multiple LEC accounts
Use Letters of Authorization plus Central Meter Hub access to consolidate multi-site month-to-date data.
No automated feed exists; CMH authorization is the most scalable path to recurring data for authorized accounts.
- Get signed LOA per account
- Register the company with CEPCI for CMH
- Request direct data delivery from LEC for detailed demand data
Historical Rate Trends
Laurens Electric rate schedules are filed under Docket EC 19 with the SC PSC. The Renewable Generation Rider became effective on bills rendered on or after June 1, 2022. Specific historical rate-change percentages are not publicly published.
June 1, 2022
Renewable Generation Seasonal Rider effective on bills rendered on or after June 1, 2022, under Docket EC 19.
n/a (rider; amount not published)Overall trend: Stable; cooperative rates adjusted via board action and wholesale power cost changes from CEPCI.
Next expected change: Not publicly announced; subject to board action and wholesale supply costs.
Cost Optimization Strategies
For Laurens Electric C&I accounts, the biggest savings come from managing the monthly 15-minute peak demand, since demand charges are based on the single highest interval each billing period.
Peak demand management
For: General Service, Large Power
Stagger startup of large equipment and avoid coincident operation so the monthly 15-minute peak kW stays low. Time infrequent equipment tests to run after the monthly meter read date.
Central Meter Hub monitoring
For: All C&I accounts
Use month-to-date data from the Central Meter Hub to track consumption trends and catch unexpected usage early.
Commercial incentives and smart thermostats
For: All commercial accounts
Use LEC commercial efficiency incentives and the Smart Thermostat program to reduce consumption and coincident demand.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Laurens Electric Cooperative interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a C&I customer at Laurens Electric get interval or demand data?▾
Commercial accounts are metered on 15-minute (some 30-minute) demand intervals, but only the monthly maximum demand is billed and exposed on the bill/portal. For month-to-date meter consumption, members use the Central Meter Hub at centralmeterhub.cepci.org (CEPCI-operated, Microsoft login). Full 15-minute interval download is not publicly available; detailed interval data requires a direct request to LEC.
Does Laurens Electric support Green Button or a developer API?▾
No. Laurens Electric has not implemented Green Button Download My Data or Connect My Data, and does not publish a public developer API. Programmatic-adjacent access is limited to the Central Meter Hub portal for month-to-date data.
How does a consultant or aggregator access a Laurens Electric customer's data?▾
Obtain a signed Letter of Authorization from the customer, then either (1) register with CEPCI for Central Meter Hub access and have the customer add you as an authorized user, or (2) email customercare@laurenselectric.com to set up direct data delivery. Processing typically takes 5-10 business days and must comply with S.C. Code Regs. Section 103-823.2.
How are Laurens Electric commercial demand charges calculated?▾
Demand charge is based on the customer's highest 15-minute (or 30-minute) average demand in kW during the billing month, reset after each monthly read. LEC's own materials illustrate the mechanic with an example of $3.00 per kW demand and 5.0 cents per kWh energy, but actual schedule rates are filed under Docket EC 19 with the SC PSC; EIA-derived commercial average is about 13.86 cents per kWh.
Is there retail electric choice on Laurens Electric's system?▾
No. South Carolina is a regulated market and LEC is a member-owned cooperative, so there is no competitive retail supplier shopping. Members buy bundled service from LEC, which sources wholesale power from Central Electric Power Cooperative (CEPCI).
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