South Carolina headline: The state’s $8,000 rebate is coming in 2026 but not open yet. What is live right now depends on your utility: Dominion pays $400 to $650 (the top figure for replacing an electric furnace), Duke offers a Smart Saver rebate up to $400, and Santee Cooper runs EmpowerHome instant rebates. The federal 25C credit expired after December 31, 2025.

The state rebate: coming in 2026, not open

South Carolina has federal Inflation Reduction Act money for home energy rebates (HEAR and HOMES), run by the South Carolina Energy Office. The program is still in development and expected to launch in 2026, with no firm date yet.1

When it opens, HEAR will pay up to $8,000 per heat pump for households below 150% of Area Median Income, and the HOMES rebate will be available at any income.1

What this means for you: if your heat pump is failing now, do not wait on the $8,000 state rebate. Use the live utility rebates below, and watch energy.sc.gov for the launch. If your system can safely wait, the state rebate will be worth much more.

This is the South Carolina companion to our 2026 heat pump rebate guide.

What is live now: utility rebates

Unlike some states, South Carolina has real rebates you can claim today. All three major utilities run one.

Dominion Energy South Carolina

Dominion (formerly SCE&G) serves the Midlands and much of the Lowcountry, including the Columbia and Charleston areas.2

EquipmentDominion rebate
ENERGY STAR heat pump$400 to $500
Heat pump replacing an electric furnace$650

The higher $650 applies when the heat pump replaces electric resistance heat, which saves the most energy.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy serves the Upstate and Pee Dee. Its Smart $aver program offers a rebate up to $400 for a qualifying ENERGY STAR heat pump.3

Santee Cooper and cooperatives

Santee Cooper, the state-owned utility, and the electric cooperatives it supplies run the EmpowerHome Smart Energy program, with instant rebates and discounts on qualifying heat pumps for the 2026 program year.4 Confirm current amounts with your co-op.

Income limits for the state rebate (when it opens)

When the HEAR program launches, eligibility caps at 150% of Area Median Income (AMI), measured at the county level using HUD data.7 Below 80% AMI gets the highest tier (up to $8,000); 80 to 150% AMI gets 50% of project cost.

Approximate 80% AMI thresholds for a family of 4:

County / region80% AMI (family of 4)
Richland County (Columbia)~$66,000
Charleston County~$72,000
Greenville County~$62,000
Horry County (Myrtle Beach)~$56,000
Rural SC counties~$48,000 to $52,000

For a senior household on Social Security only, eligibility is usually clean in any South Carolina county.

Federal layer (2026)

The federal 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, which paid up to $2,000 for a heat pump in prior years, expired for installs after December 31, 2025.5

What remains in 2026:

  • 25D Residential Clean Energy Credit: 30% of solar cost through 2034. Applies if you pair the heat pump with solar.6
  • 25C on insulation, panel upgrades, and audits: still active at smaller caps. Heat pumps are excluded.

See IRA 25C expired 2026 for the full federal picture.

Senior stack scenarios

Scenario A: Columbia retired couple, Dominion customer, replacing an electric furnace

  • Dominion electric-furnace-replacement rebate: $650
  • State HEAR (when it opens, if income-eligible): up to $8,000
  • Live today: $650. The state rebate later can dwarf it, so time the job if you can wait.

Scenario B: Greenville household, Duke Energy customer

  • Duke Smart $aver heat pump rebate: up to $400
  • Live today: up to $400. Add the state rebate later if income-eligible when it opens.

Scenario C: Rural Lowcountry household, electric cooperative (Santee Cooper)

  • Santee Cooper EmpowerHome instant rebate: varies
  • Live today: an instant discount at purchase. Confirm the amount with your co-op.

Verify your contractor first

A rebate is only as good as the contractor who installs the equipment. South Carolina licenses residential builders and mechanical contractors through state boards, and utility rebates usually require an enrolled contractor.

Red flags to reject:

  • Door-to-door pitches. Legitimate contractors do not cold-call.
  • A “guaranteed” state rebate. The state program is not open, so nobody can guarantee it.
  • No South Carolina license number on the quote.
  • R-410A equipment for a 2026 install. That refrigerant no longer qualifies under the EPA rule.8

Verify a license in about a minute with our South Carolina contractor license lookup guide.

South Carolina senior action plan:
  1. Find your utility on your electric bill (Dominion, Duke, or Santee Cooper)
  2. Claim the live rebate: Dominion $400 to $650, Duke up to $400, Santee Cooper instant
  3. If replacing an electric furnace, tell your contractor for the higher Dominion rebate
  4. Use a South Carolina licensed, utility-enrolled contractor
  5. Watch energy.sc.gov for the $8,000 state rebate launch

What’s next

Citations

  1. South Carolina Home Energy Rebates: Program Status. South Carolina Energy Office, retrieved July 20, 2026. .
  1. Heating and Cooling Rebates (South Carolina). Dominion Energy, retrieved July 20, 2026. .
  1. Smart $aver Residential Heat Pump Rebate. Duke Energy, retrieved July 20, 2026. .
  1. EmpowerHome Smart Energy Rebate Program. Santee Cooper, retrieved July 20, 2026. .
  1. Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C). U.S. Internal Revenue Service. .
  1. Residential Clean Energy Credit (25D). U.S. Internal Revenue Service. .
  1. Income Limits Documentation System. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, April 2026. .
  1. Technology Transitions: Restrictions on Use of Certain HFCs. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. .