What is Touchstone Energy?
Touchstone Energy is a nationwide brand and marketing effort that identifies cooperative utilities providing superior member
service while maintaining a strong local presence.
Hundreds of electric cooperatives across the United States have launched the Touchstone Energy brand to represent the advantages of locally owned and controlled electric service, which is rooted in the direct link that electric cooperatives have with their customers.
The dictionary definition of touchstone is a test of genuineness. Touchstone Energy symbolizes everything that electric cooperatives represent today: electric power, human connections, and the strength of co-ops' commitment to the communities and the consumers they serve.
By pooling resources through the brand with other cooperative utilities, the electric cooperatives will be able to provide consumers information and create awareness of their customer-focused services as the electric utility industry evolves.
Visit the national Touchstone Energy site.
What is an electric cooperative?
Electric cooperatives are private, independent electric utilities, owned by the members they serve. Democratically governed businesses, electric cooperatives are organized under the Cooperative or Rochdale Principles, anchoring them firmly in the communities they serve and ensuring that they are closely regulated by their consumers.
What are the benefits of being a cooperative member?
Capital Credits
As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, Santee Electric Cooperative is able to return money that's left over after operating expenses to its members. That revenue is then assigned by Santee Electric Cooperative to each member's Capital Credits account. The amount of a member's Capital Credits is determined by their yearly electricity payments. Capital Credits are just one more way Santee Electric Cooperative continues to put the Touchstone Energy Values of accountability, integrity, community commitment and innovation to work for you. For more information about Capital Credits, download our Capital Credits brochure (pdf).
Download some of the pdf files below to learn more about Santee Electric:
Annual Reports
Service Area
Santee Electric Cooperative has a very large service area. It serves parts of Clarendon, Florence, Georgetown, and Williamsburg counties in South Carolina. To the right is a map of our service area, click it to expand it to full view.
Thank you for taking an interest in our organization. We have several methods you can use to contact our offices because we want to bring you the power you need.
By Phone:
Toll-Free Phone Number: +1-800-922-1604.
Outage Calls:
Toll-Free Outage Phone Number: +1-888-239-2300. Outages are handled by our automated outage system. Please enter your phone number at your location and follow the prompts. If your phone number is not correct, please follow the prompts and enter a message.
Local Contact Numbers:
- Georgetown: +1-843-546-4521
- Hemingway: +1-843-558-3313
- Kingstree: +1-843-355-6187
- Lake City: +1-843-374-3000
- Manning: +1-803-473-4036
In Person or by Mail:
Please note that our regular business hours are from 8 am through 5 pm, Monday through Friday.
To send us an email message, click here.
Kingstree
Phone Number: 843-355-6187
Address: 424 Sumter Hwy
Kingstree, SC 29556
Georgetown
Phone Number: 843-546-4521
Address: 92 West Virginia Rd.
Georgetown, SC 29440
Hemingway
Phone Number: 843-558-3313
Address: 202 East Broad St.
Hemingway, SC 29554
Lake City
Phone Number: 843-374-3000
Address: 349 West Main St.
Lake City, SC 29560
Manning
Phone Number: 803-473-4036
Address: 3191 Highway 260
Manning, SC 29102
Santee Electric Cooperative was formed in the late 1930's and was chartered on December 14, 1939, after years of hard work by volunteers who scoured the countryside getting members to sign up for the service.
No one else would provide electricity in the rural areas. Santee Electric's primary purpose is to provide its members with the best possible electric service at the lowest possible cost.
Service Area
Santee Electric Cooperative's service area includes Williamsburg County, Georgetown County west of the Intercoastal Waterway, eastern Clarendon County and southern Florence County. It extends from Highway 301 to the Intracoastal Waterway, and from the Pee Dee River to the Santee River. There are 40,000 members scattered over 5,000 miles of line in the four-county area. The Cooperative headquarters is located in Kingstree, but branch offices are located in Manning, Lake City, Hemingway, and Georgetown.
Mission Statement
To provide quality service and products to meet the energy needs of our members at a competitive price consistent with sound business practices, while enhancing the quality of life in our service area through the support of economic, civic and educational opportunities.
Statement of Nondiscrimination
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, pregnancy, childbirth, medical needs arising from pregnancy or childbirth, medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, including, but not limited to, lactation, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
75 Years SEC
Kingstree
Phone Number: 843-355-6187
Address: 424 Sumter Hwy
Kingstree, SC 29556
Georgetown
Phone Number: 843-546-4521
Address: 92 West Virginia Rd.
Georgetown, SC 29440
Hemingway
Phone Number: 843-558-3313
Address: 202 East Broad St.
Hemingway, SC 29554
Lake City
Phone Number: 843-374-3000
Address: 349 West Main St.
Lake City, SC 29560
Manning
Phone Number: 803-473-4036
Address: 3191 Highway 260
Manning, SC 29102