Affordable
Energy Value and Affordability
Power is essential to our everyday lives. We pride ourselves on managing expenses carefully, providing our customers with good value for their money, and encourage our customers to adopt solutions to reduce their electricity demand.
In Virginia, our rates have remained consistently below national and regional averages for nearly two decades. As of May 2024, our Virginia residential electric rates were 14% below the national average and our South Carolina residential electric rates were 18% below the national average.
Our energy assistance programs provide a range of options for customers struggling to pay energy bills while also paying for other basic expenses, such as housing, food, and medication.
Energy Efficiency
We offer an extensive array of energy-efficiency and demand-side management (DSM) programs that help customers reduce their energy use and save money. In 2023, the Virginia State Corporation Commission approved the implementation of five new DSM programs, including an electric vehicle pilot and four new program bundles to supplement DEV’s extensive DSM portfolio.
In early 2023, DESC shared with state regulators its most recent study on the potential for expanding DSM programs within its South Carolina electric service territory. Informed by this potential study, DESC began working on plans to modify its suite of energy efficiency programs (EnergyWise) in collaboration with the Energy Efficiency Advisory Group (EEAG). The EEAG includes stakeholders from state government, environmental groups, and business. In addition, following Public Service Commission of South Carolina approval in September of 2022, DESC completed the full implementation of its natural gas energy efficiency programs in 2023.
This program is a godsend for me. Being retired and living within a budget this helps to keep costs in check. Thank you so much.
Assistance Programs
EnergyShare® is our year-round assistance program that has been helping qualified customers with energy bill payment assistance since 1982. In 2023, EnergyShare® contributed $15.4 million to help individuals and families with their energy needs in the communities Dominion Energy serves in Virginia and North Carolina. During its 2022-2023 program year, EnergyShare® provided bill payment assistance to 19,600 individuals and families — including more than 1,500 military veterans and 1,300 individuals with disabilities. It also enabled the weatherization of 1,400 homes. Additionally, through public-private partnerships, EnergyShare® provided cooling relief to 1,300 vulnerable community members through its support of programs like Senior Cool Care in Virginia and Fan Care in North Carolina.
In South Carolina, EnergyShare® provided $1.75 million in bill payment assistance to over 3,400 households during its 2022-2023 program year. DESC also contributed $1 million for a two-year pilot program with the United Way Association of South Carolina, EnergyShare® for Small Business opens in a new window , helping 107 businesses, nonprofits, and houses of worship in our South Carolina territory. Another $115,000 funded by employee and customer contributions was disbursed to the South Carolina Office of Economic Opportunity for residential utility bill assistance. In Ohio, EnergyShare® distributed over $600,000 during the 2022-2023 season, providing bill payment assistance to over 1,900 households.
Because we operate in a variety of diverse communities, we’ve made our EnergyShare® brochures opens in a new window available not only in English, but also Spanish opens in a new window , Chinese opens in a new window , Korean opens in a new window , and Vietnamese opens in a new window .
Employee Spotlight
Malesia "Nikki" Taylor
When customers need a strong arm to lean on, Nikki Taylor is there.
Dominion Energy’s employees are our greatest strength — and one of the strongest may be Nikki Taylor, a competitive powerlifter who can deadlift 440 pounds.
“I love pushing myself to my limits,” Nikki says. “I also like being a physical manifestation of strength for my daughters, letting them know they can accomplish anything they want to and don’t have to fit into a mold forced on them by society.”
As the program manager for EnergyShare®, Nikki is also a source of strength for customers struggling to pay energy bills. The program offers bill payment assistance and long-term energy savings through free energy upgrades. Since its inception in 1982, the program has helped hundreds of thousands of individuals and families and weatherized more than 22,000 homes.
On any given day, Nikki might be writing a report, facilitating a weatherization project, being interviewed for a news story, or speaking at a conference. But assisting customers is what she enjoys most: “The best part of my job is helping people at their low points where they don’t know where else to go.”
In addition to helping customers and spreading the word about EnergyShare®, Nikki also is serving her second term as president of the American Association of Blacks in Energy’s Virginia Chapter. “AABE is an organization committed to supporting minorities and the underrepresented in the energy sector while fostering community engagement through outreach, volunteerism, and scholarship opportunities. They are my second family!”
All of which gives Nikki plenty of opportunities to push her limits. “I am very introverted,” she confesses. “My career at Dominion Energy has afforded me a lot of opportunities that involve working with the community and with key stakeholders for the company. I did not see being an introvert serving me well in those types of settings, so I have worked hard to push my comfort zone in social settings.”
Now that’s true strength.