South Carolina at a glance

South Carolina has one of the longest solar cancellation windows in the country. A Department of Consumer Affairs regulation lets you cancel a home solar purchase or lease until midnight of the tenth calendar day after signing, with extra protection for buyers 70 and older. Under the 2019 Energy Freedom Act, new rooftop solar customers are on Solar Choice tariffs with time-of-use rates.

If you were misled, you have options

Being told your bill would disappear, that the system was free, that a tax credit would pay off the loan, or that you were only signing up for an inspection can all matter, even long after a cancellation window has closed.

  1. Your state's consumer protection law. Every state has a law against deceptive and unfair business practices. False promises about savings, costs, tax credits, or who you were dealing with may fall under South Carolina's law.
  2. Missing paperwork and disclosures. Many states require specific disclosures and a written cancellation notice. If you never received them, a deadline may not have started, or the contract may have other problems.
  3. Your lender may share responsibility. When a seller arranges your financing, federal rules often let you raise the same claims against the lender that you have against the seller, up to the amount you paid. Check your loan for a notice about the FTC Holder Rule.
  4. Official complaints. Complaints to South Carolina's agencies are free, create a record, and can lead to mediation or an investigation.
  5. Professional help. A solar attorney or solar exit company can review your documents and tell you which of these options fit your situation.

Not sure which option fits? Tell us what happened and we will help you see your options. It takes about two minutes.

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Your right to cancel

South Carolina cancellation window

10 calendar days

A South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs regulation lets you cancel an agreement to buy or lease a home solar system until midnight of the tenth calendar day after you sign. You owe nothing and get back any money you paid.

Source: S.C. Code Regs. 28-78(D) · Checked November 7, 2026

Conditions that matter

  • The seller must give you a notice of cancellation form with the agreement.
  • If you are 70 or older and the sale is made at your home, the seller must give you the agreement at least three calendar days before you sign. Substantial changes restart the three days. This does not apply if you invited the seller to your home.
  • If your building permit or HOA approval is denied, you have seven calendar days after being notified to cancel, paying reasonable cancellation costs, or to amend the agreement and resubmit.

Solar leasing companies must also be certified by the Office of Regulatory Staff, which can void a lease if the company fails to honor a timely cancellation request (S.C. Code Regs. 111-62(C)).

Canceling one agreement does not always cancel another. A separate loan, lease, or power purchase agreement can have its own terms, so check each document you signed. If the sale was made in Spanish or another language, read your rights when a contract is not in your language. To compare deadlines, see the cancellation period in every state.

Laws that protect you in South Carolina

These are the state laws that come up most often in solar disputes here. Each one links to the official text or the agency that enforces it.

S.C. Code Regs. 28-78

Residential solar regulation

You can cancel an agreement to buy or lease a home solar system until midnight of the tenth calendar day after signing. If you're 70 or older and sold at home, the seller must give you the agreement at least three days before you sign. If your permit or HOA approval is denied, you get seven days to cancel or amend.

S.C. Code §58-40-20

South Carolina Energy Freedom Act (Act 62)

Directed the Public Service Commission to replace net metering with Solar Choice metering tariffs for customers applying after May 31, 2021, with a guaranteed minimum term for customers who enroll.

How your utility credits solar in South Carolina

Solar Choice tariffs with time-of-use rates

Since January 1, 2022, new residential solar customers of Duke Energy and Dominion Energy South Carolina are on Solar Choice metering tariffs. Residential customers must take a time-of-use rate, and energy is netted monthly within each time period, so when you use power affects your savings.

Source: SC Office of Regulatory Staff, Energy Freedom Act

Check your South Carolina solar contract

Pull out your paperwork and look for these. Anything missing is worth noting in a complaint or showing to an attorney.

  • You received a notice of cancellation form with the agreement.
  • You know your tenth calendar day cancellation deadline.
  • If you're 70 or older and were sold at home, you had the agreement at least three days before signing.
  • Your savings estimate assumes a time-of-use rate under Solar Choice.
  • If you lease, the leasing company is certified by the Office of Regulatory Staff.

Where to get help in South Carolina

These are official agencies. Filing a complaint is free. An agency can investigate or mediate, but most cannot act as your lawyer or guarantee a refund.

Installer and contractor complaints

South Carolina LLR, Residential Builders Commission

Licenses and registers residential builders and specialty contractors, including those who install home solar, and takes complaints.

Visit the official page 803-896-4696

Consumer protection

South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs

Enforces the state solar sales regulation and mediates written consumer complaints. Outside South Carolina call 803-734-4200.

Visit the official page 800-922-1594

Utility billing and solar leases

South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, Consumer Services

Handles complaints about regulated utilities, interconnection, and solar leasing companies. Contact your utility or leasing company first. Electric cooperatives and municipal utilities are generally not covered.

Visit the official page 1-800-922-1531

Before you contact anyone

  1. Gather every document you signed. The sales or installation agreement, any loan, lease, or power purchase agreement, and any change orders.
  2. Identify each company. The seller, installer, lender, and current servicer may be different businesses. Your latest statement shows who services your account now.
  3. Write down the timeline. When you were contacted, when you signed, when work started, and every promise made about savings or cost.
  4. Keep proof of every notice. Save emails, certified mail receipts, and the date you sent anything.

Guides for your situation

Questions to ask

  • Which agreement am I trying to cancel or change, and who is the other party to it?
  • What does my agreement say about cancellation, notice, and where to send it?
  • Did the seller give me the cancellation notice and disclosures required in my state?
  • Is my loan separate from my installation contract, and what happens to it if the contract is canceled?
  • Was a dealer fee built into my loan? Estimate it with our calculator.

South Carolina solar questions

How long do I have to cancel a solar contract in South Carolina?

Until midnight of the tenth calendar day after you sign, under the Department of Consumer Affairs solar regulation.

Does South Carolina still have net metering?

New customers are on Solar Choice tariffs instead. They require time-of-use rates and net within each time period each month.

Who do I complain to?

The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs handles sales and contract issues. The Office of Regulatory Staff handles utility and leasing company issues.

National resources

General information, not legal advice.

This page can’t tell you whether a right applies to your agreement. For that, contact a licensed attorney or the agencies above.

Other states

Solar rules change at the state line. See every state and the review status of each.