How much does an electric water heater cost per month in South Carolina?

About $45.12 a month, assuming 3,500 kWh a year at 15.47¢/kWh.

How many kilowatt-hours does an electric water heater use?

Roughly 3,500 kWh a year under these assumptions.

Is that expensive compared with other states?

South Carolina has the 20th cheapest average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs less here than the U.S. average of $641 a year.

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Cost to run an electric water heater in South Carolina (July 2026 rates)

At 15.47¢ per kilowatt-hour — South Carolina's average residential price in July 2026 — running an electric water heater costs $541 a year. That is 16% less than the national average of $641. South Carolina's residential rate is up 5.2% from July 2025, which moves this appliance from $514 to $541 a year.

Per day: $1.48
Per month: $45.12
Per year: $541

Assumption: 3,500 kWh a year. A 50-gallon resistance tank for a household of three or four. This is typically the largest or second-largest electric load in a home without electric heat. Use the calculator to swap in the numbers from your own model.

Related calculators: work out whether a heat-pump water heater pays back.

How South Carolina compares

South Carolina pays 15.47¢/kWh, the 20th cheapest residential electricity of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions EIA reports. For this appliance that works out to $99.40 less a year than the typical U.S. household pays for the same use. Running the same electric water heater costs $445 a year in Louisiana and $1,680 in Hawaii, so where you live changes this bill by $1,235 a year.

State	Rate	Per month	Per year
South Dakota	15.37¢	$44.83	$538
Arizona	15.38¢	$44.86	$538
South Carolina	15.47¢	$45.12	$541
West Virginia	15.78¢	$46.02	$552
Texas	15.88¢	$46.32	$556

States ranked by average residential price, cheapest first. See all 51 states for an electric water heater.

What else costs about the same in South Carolina

Electric car$588 a year in SC Hot tub$387 a year in SC Central air conditioner$364 a year in SC

Cutting the number down

A heat-pump water heater does the same job for roughly a third of the electricity, which is why it usually pays back faster than any other upgrade in the house.
Dropping the setpoint from 140 F to 120 F cuts standby losses and scalding risk at once.
An insulating blanket on an older tank pays for itself in a season; check the manufacturer's guidance first.

Questions

How much does an electric water heater cost per month in South Carolina?: About $45.12 a month, assuming 3,500 kWh a year at 15.47¢/kWh.
How many kilowatt-hours does an electric water heater use?: Roughly 3,500 kWh a year under these assumptions.
Is that expensive compared with other states?: South Carolina has the 20th cheapest average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs less here than the U.S. average of $641 a year.