South Central Power Company Rate Selection Guide
South Central Power Company is Ohio's largest member-owned electric cooperative, serving roughly 127,800 members across 24 counties. It uses the NISC SmartHub platform for billing and usage data with Green Button export, Sensus AMI smart meters, and bills commercial and industrial members under its Small and Large General Service rate schedules.
South Central Power Company Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small General Service | Small commercial | $41/mo + $0.0260/kWh (+ Riders A/B) | Small businesses under 50 kW |
| Medium General Service | Medium commercial | Demand-metered; see tariff book | Mid-size facilities 50-350 kW |
| Large General Service | Large / industrial | $202/mo + $5.50/kW demand (+ Riders A/B) | Facilities with 350 kW or more billing capacity |
Market Overview
South Central Power is a member-owned cooperative exempt from PUCO rate regulation and Ohio's competitive retail electric (CRES) shopping framework. Members cannot select a competitive generation supplier; the co-op's board sets bundled retail rates and members take full-requirements service from the cooperative.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the South Central Power Company Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
South Central Power bills commercial and industrial members under its General Service rate schedules, with expanded rate classes effective April 1, 2024. Small General Service (SGS) carries a $41.00 monthly consumer charge plus $0.0260 per kWh, with a capacity-based minimum of $41.00 for the first 5 kVA plus $1.50 per kVA above 5 kVA. Large General Service (LGS), for accounts with a minimum billing capacity of 350 kW, carries a $202.00 monthly consumer charge plus a $5.50 per kW demand charge on all billing capacity; billing demand is the highest 15-minute integrated kW (min 350 kW), and kVA billing applies when power factor is below 0.98. Both schedules are subject to Rider A and Rider B adjustments. Intermediate Medium General Service (50-350 kW) and Large Power classes also exist under the 2024 expanded structure.
Effective: April 1, 2025 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small General Service (SGS) | commercial | Commercial/industrial accounts not on residential schedules, generally with demand under 50 kW. | Consumer charge $41.00/month plus $0.0260 per kWh for all kWh. Minimum charge: $41.00 for first 5 kVA of allocated transformer capacity plus $1.50 per kVA above 5 kVA. Subject to Rider A and Rider B. | — |
| Medium General Service (Medium GS) | commercial | Commercial accounts with monthly demand of 50-350 kW (defined under the April 2024 expanded rate classes). | Demand-metered general service class between Small GS and Large GS. Specific charges are set in the cooperative's rate schedule / company documents; see the tariff book. | — |
| Large General Service (LGS) | industrial | Accounts with a minimum billing capacity of 350 kW. | Consumer charge $202.00/month plus demand charge of $5.50 per kW on all billing capacity. Billing capacity = highest 15-minute integrated kW (min 350 kW); kVA billing when power factor < 0.98. Minimum charge based on 350 kW (or 60% of contract kVA) times the demand charge plus consumer charge. Subject to Rider A and Rider B. | — |
| Large Power (LP) | industrial | Largest industrial members under the April 2024 expanded rate classes. | Industrial power class for the largest loads; specific charges are set in the cooperative's company documents. See the tariff book for current LP terms. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small commercial facility (<50 kW)
Small businesses on SGS pay a flat $41/month plus $0.0260/kWh with no demand charge.
With no demand component, energy efficiency and avoiding the kVA-based minimum are the main levers.
- Confirm the account stays under the SGS demand threshold
- Reduce kWh through efficiency measures
- Track Rider A/B adjustments on the bill
Large facility / industrial (350 kW+)
LGS accounts pay a $202/month consumer charge plus $5.50/kW on billing capacity, with a 350 kW minimum.
The demand charge and the 350 kW minimum dominate the bill, so demand management and power-factor correction yield the biggest savings.
- Pull 15-minute interval data via the SmartHub API to find peak events
- Maintain power factor >= 0.98 to avoid kVA billing
- Manage contract/billing capacity around the 350 kW minimum
Mid-size facility near thresholds (50-350 kW)
Medium GS accounts sit between SGS and LGS under the 2024 expanded classes.
Accounts near the 50 kW or 350 kW boundaries should verify class placement, since crossing into LGS triggers the 350 kW minimum demand billing.
- Verify rate-class placement against actual demand
- Use interval data to model demand near thresholds
- Contact Commercial Services for class confirmation
Historical Rate Trends
South Central Power restructured into expanded rate classes effective April 1, 2024, and made a modest residential consumer-charge adjustment in April 2025. As a cooperative, rate changes are approved by its board rather than PUCO.
April 1, 2024
Expanded commercial rate classes (Small/Medium/Large GS, Large Power) took effect.
N/AApril 1, 2025
Residential consumer charge raised from $27 to $29; SGS schedule reissued effective April 1, 2025.
N/AOverall trend: Modest, periodic board-approved adjustments; expanded rate-class restructuring in 2024.
Next expected change: Determined by the cooperative's board; rate schedules are reissued periodically (most recent SGS effective April 1, 2025).
Cost Optimization Strategies
For South Central Power C&I members, demand charges and power factor dominate larger bills, while smaller accounts benefit from a simple flat energy rate. Savings come from demand management, power-factor correction, and confirming the most favorable rate class.
Peak demand management
For: LGS and Medium GS accounts
On LGS the $5.50/kW demand charge is set by the single highest 15-minute integrated kW each month; staggering loads and shaving peaks lowers billing capacity.
Power factor correction
For: Accounts with motor/inductive loads
Keep power factor at or above 0.98 to avoid kVA billing, which raises billed demand on LGS.
Rate-class verification
For: Accounts near 50 kW or 350 kW thresholds
Confirm the account sits in the most economical class under the 2024 expanded structure (SGS vs Medium GS vs LGS) given actual demand and energy use.
Interval-data analytics
For: All C&I accounts
Use Green Button or the SmartHub API to pull interval data and identify peak-setting events and Rider A/B impacts.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download South Central Power Company interval data →
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a C&I member get 15-minute interval data?▾
South Central Power's Sensus AMI meters capture interval data. As of January 2024 the SmartHub web CSV export provides hourly data, so for true 15-minute granularity, technical teams use the SmartHub API (see the open-source electric-usage-downloader). Green Button Download My Data is the most portable self-service export. For ongoing programmatic access, contact the cooperative's IT/Commercial Services.
Does South Central Power support EDI?▾
No documented EDI trading-partner program exists. As a member-owned cooperative without retail choice, South Central Power handles structured data exchange through Green Button (ESPI XML), the SmartHub API, and CSV exports rather than ANSI X12 EDI transactions.
Which rate applies to commercial and industrial members?▾
Smaller commercial accounts (typically under 50 kW) take Small General Service (SGS): a $41/month consumer charge plus $0.0260 per kWh. Larger accounts of 350 kW or more take Large General Service (LGS): a $202/month consumer charge plus a $5.50 per kW demand charge on all billing capacity. Both are subject to Rider A and Rider B adjustments. Mid-size demand classes (Medium GS, 50-350 kW) are also defined under the 2024 expanded rate classes.
Can a consultant access a member's data on their behalf?▾
Yes. SmartHub supports customer-authorized third-party access: the member approves a requested data scope and date range, after which the consultant can retrieve data via API, CSV download, or Green Button XML. The member can revoke access at any time.
How is the LGS demand charge billed?▾
Under Large General Service, billing capacity is the highest measured 15-minute integrated demand for the month, with a minimum of 350 kW. If average power factor falls below 0.98, the cooperative bills on kVA rather than measured kW, which increases billed demand. The demand charge is $5.50 per kW of billing capacity.
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