Heat pumps in South Carolina
South Carolina has the highest heat pump adoption in America — 41.7% of homes. That is not a climate policy success story, it is an accident of history: you need air conditioning here regardless, much of the state never got gas mains, and the cheapest way to do both was one machine. The opportunity now is replacing tired old units, not converting anyone.
Heat pump adoption
EIA RECS 2020 microdata ↗41.7% of South Carolina homes use a heat pump as their main heat
Goal: every home
Central heat pumps and ductless mini-splits combined, counted as the home's main heating equipment. A further 0.6% of South Carolina homes run a mini-split as secondary heat alongside natural gas.
Episodes
Recorded in South Carolina
Homeowners and contractors in SC, in their own words.
Money and next steps
What South Carolina pays toward one
South Carolina Energy Office
The state energy office, with a directory of utility rebates. Most residential incentives come from Dominion Energy South Carolina, Duke Energy or Santee Cooper depending on who serves you.
Program details →Federal Home Energy Rebates
The IRA rebate programs (HEAR and HOMES) survived the 2025 tax changes — they were grants to states, not tax credits. Each state runs its own, and they are at different stages: some open, some already out of money, some yet to launch. Check where South Carolina stands before you count on it.
Program details →
The federal 25C tax credit — 30% back, up to $2,000 on a heat pump — ended for systems placed in service after 31 December 2025. If you had one installed in 2025 or earlier you can still claim it; there is no successor credit. Incentives move fast, so check DSIRE for what is current in South Carolina. Last checked September 2026.
Ready to get quotes?
Tell us about your home and we'll connect you with installers who work in South Carolina — and who we'd let near our own houses.
The numbers
What a heat pump here has to cover
37°F
Coldest month average low
Columbia · NOAA 1991–2020 normals
93°F
Warmest month average high
Columbia · NOAA 1991–2020 normals
Both loads matter here — cold snaps are real, and so are the summers. A system sized only for heating will short-cycle in August; one sized only for cooling will lean on backup heat in January. Getting the balance right is the job.