Federal rebates for gas-to-electric heating conversions have ended — but electric-to-heat-pump upgrades still qualify. What changed
Still in development with a 2026 target, and the state is honest that the rules are not written yet.
Prices pulled August 16, 2026
14.96¢
per kWh, residential electricity
14% below the national average of 17.3¢. 31st most expensive of 51.
Up 16% since 2021 (3.9% a year), against 27% nationally.
$1.63
per therm, residential natural gas
$16.91 per thousand cubic feet, 2024 annual. National average $1.48/therm.
Up 18% since 2021 (4.3% a year).
Heat pump vs. gas furnace — Heat pump favored
South Carolina's electricity-to-gas price ratio works out at 2.7-to-1. At these prices a heat pump should cost less to run than a gas furnace across the heating season, before counting the air conditioning it also replaces.
Below roughly 3.5-to-1 a heat pump usually wins on running cost; above roughly 5-to-1 a furnace may be cheaper through winter. How that comparison works · run it with these rates
State averages from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (electricity, gas), pulled 2026-08-16. Real bills vary substantially by utility within a state, and by rate plan within a utility — check a recent bill for your own numbers before relying on any of this. The heat pump verdict above follows from these averages, so it moves if your rates differ.
South Carolina's Energy Office has put up a page that will become the programme hub but says the rebates are not yet available, with launch anticipated during 2026. Final programme details are still in development. That is a shorter horizon than several states, but it is not a date.
The practical instruction is to get on the list rather than wait passively. The Energy Office runs a stakeholder engagement form and an email update list, and an approved contractor list is described as forthcoming. Programmes that launch with finite funding tend to reward the people who were already subscribed when the announcement went out.
Do not let a contractor pre-sell you on eligibility. The state says the rules are not finalised, which means nobody can tell you today what will qualify in South Carolina — not the equipment, not the income tiers, not the paperwork. Any quote that bakes in an assumed state rebate is a quote with an invented number in it.
One South Carolina-specific programme does exist and is easy to miss: the Energy Office runs an incentive programme aimed at manufactured housing, which is a significant share of the state's housing stock and is usually the worst-performing part of it. If that is your home, look at that programme rather than waiting for the general rebates.
Check with the administrator before you sign anything. Program budgets run out, terms change without notice, and most require approval before work starts — a rebate you apply for afterwards is usually a rebate you don't get. Treat this page as a starting point for your own call, not as confirmation that you qualify. We last checked these programs on August 16, 2026.
Anticipated in 2026, with final programme details still in development. Stakeholder form and email updates are the only actions available; an approved contractor list is forthcoming.
Program detailsA South Carolina-specific efficiency incentive aimed at manufactured homes, separate from the pending federal rebates.
Program detailsEnded. No credit for expenditures made after 31 December 2025.
Ended. No credit for property placed in service after 31 December 2025.
Full detail, sources and changelog on the national incentive tracker.
Your own utility is worth checking separately — utility rebates are often the largest remaining incentive and rarely appear in any central listing.
Everything here is general information gathered from public sources. It is not tax, financial or engineering advice, and it cannot account for your utility, your income, your equipment or your return. Energy prices are state averages that move; program terms and budgets change without notice. Confirm anything you plan to budget around directly with the program administrator, your utility and a licensed professional before you commit money.
If you find something on this page that is out of date, tell us at minchangyi@me.com and we will correct it.
These open with South Carolina's average rates already filled in. Correct them from a recent bill before you rely on the result — state averages hide a lot of variation between utilities.
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