Press

By Dave L’Heureux, Staff Writer South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. will lose investors and pay higher interest rates if it cannot raise electric rates next year, a Wall Street expert told state utility regulators Wednesday. But rate hike opponents disputed the need for higher rates, insisting during the third day of testimony that SCE&G […]

Published in The Lexington Chronicle and The-Dispatch News S.C. Electric & Gas’s top executive admits the company has no idea what a 14% rate increase will do to small business. During state Public Service Commission hearings into SCE&G’s requested rate increase,  Commissioner Robert Moseley asked the power company’s estimate of the impact of the hike.

By Dave L’Heureux, Staff Writer South Carolina Electric & Gas Co.’s proposed electric rate increases will hurt retirees, working people and businesses, speakers told utility regulators Monday. SCE&G wants to raise electric rates by $112 million per year, starting February, largely to boost its generating capacity. It is asking the S.C. Public Service Commission to

By Tim Wilkes, Lexington County Chronicle and Dispatch News SCE&G has filed for a rate increase with the S.C. Public Service Commission, the state agency that approves all utility rates. The rate increases requested are: for small businesses, almost 14 percent; for medium commercial, almost 12 percent; for residential, 7 percent; and for large commercial,

Published in the Lexington County Chronicle and Dispatch News A state business leader wants to know why small businesses should pay more than twice what large industry pays for electricity. Tim Wilkes, chairman of the Small Business Chamber of Commerce Chairman Tim Wilkes said he finds S.C. Electric & Gas’s explanation of its rate hike

Published in GSABusiness The SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce has announced its formal opposition to the proposed SCE&G rate increase for small businesses.  The rate increase, filed with the Public Service Commission on August 6th, calls for nearly a 14% increase on electricity used by small businesses. “Small businesses are being asked to pay

By Dave L’Heureux, Staff Writer Business leaders say they will oppose the double-digit electric rate increases SCE&G wants to impose on small- and medium-size firms next year. South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. proposes an average 14 percent increase on small companies within its territory. Medium-size businesses, such as supermarkets, would pay an average 12

The SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce will serve on a Health Insurance Policy Advisory Committee and will play a role in the data collection for a $1.1 million grant to the SC Department of Insurance.  The formal announcement of this US Department of Health and Human Services grant, which will be used to analyze

By Kathleen Vereen Dayton, The Sun News Writing a bad check in South Carolina now can cost offenders more than ever, thanks to a new law that lets businesses charge up to $30 for each check that is returned for insufficient funds. The new law, signed June 3 by Gov. Jim Hodges, evens out the

Published in the Lexington County Chronicle  A new state law increases the amount businesses can charge for bad checks.  The legislation, backed by the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce, increases charges from $25.00 to $30 for returned checks written for under $100.00 The amount is now the same for checks over $100.00. “This may