- Filing requests base rate increase and natural gas cost rate reduction
- Allocation of costs to residential, commercial, industrial customers will be reviewed during proceeding
CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Piedmont Natural Gas today filed a request with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina to update its billing rates through a general rate case proceeding.
The new rates would allow Piedmont to recover recent utility capital investments for its growing South Carolina customer base and the increased cost of capital since its last rate case.
If approved, Piedmont anticipates the rates will go into effect Oct. 1, 2026, with the typical residential customer in South Carolina paying, on average, $7.67 more per month, or $92 more per year.
Piedmont is also requesting concurrent rate reductions for pass-through natural gas costs, which will help mitigate the overall impact on customer bills. The overall revenue increase requested is 6.3%.
Piedmont serves about 170,000 customers in Anderson, Spartanburg, Greenville and Cherokee counties in South Carolina. Piedmont’s last general rate case proceeding in South Carolina was in 2022.
“Piedmont works to keep costs as low as possible while safely and reliably serving our customers,” said Emily Henson, president of Piedmont Natural Gas. “Raising rates is a decision we never make lightly, and we know any increase may be challenging to some customers.
“Piedmont remains focused on helping our customers manage their bills and energy usage,” Henson continued. “We offer a variety of options, including our Equal Payment Plan program, payment assistance programs, and energy-saving tips and tools.”
Level out your bill with the Equal Payment Plan (EPP) program
Piedmont’s free EPP program helps customers manage their budgets by leveling out a customer’s natural gas bills, allowing them to pay a predictable, equal monthly amount to help avoid billing surprises. Piedmont determines this payment by adding up a customer’s annual natural gas usage and then dividing it into the same payment amount each month. Learn more here.
Assistance for customers in need
Share the Warmth provides funds to local agencies to assist families with their utility bills, no matter the source of energy they use. Contact information for approved assistance agencies across Piedmont’s service area is available at piedmontng.com/ShareTheWarmth.
The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) provides payment assistance for natural gas, electric and other energy sources customers use in their homes.
Piedmont says anyone in need should apply for this and other newly available programs to see if they qualify. For more information, go to piedmontng.com/AssistancePrograms.
Energy-saving tips and tools
Piedmont Natural Gas also offers a variety of energy-saving tips and tools to help customers and our communities identify ways to save money and energy all year long. These programs and tools help customers understand what factors are impacting their natural gas bills and emphasize specific actions they can take to prepare and reduce the impacts of higher usage.
Piedmont Natural Gas
Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, distributes natural gas to more than 1 million residential, commercial, industrial and power generation customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. More information: piedmontng.com. Follow Piedmont Natural Gas: Facebook.
Media contact: Jason Wheatley
Media line: 877.348.3612
[email protected]
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SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas
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