Dive Summary:

• A customer advertising campaign has played a role in persuading South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. (SCE&G) to reduce its original electricity rate hike request.
• The revised hike would raise the average bill by about $31 as opposed to the $80 requested in the original proposal; the total revenue generated by the hike would be $97 million, down from $152 million.
• The grounds for the newly negotiated deal is that South Carolina seniors and other ratepayers insisted they couldn't afford the additional $152 million in bills.

From the article:

Public pressure played a role in persuading South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. to moderate its pending price hike for electricity.

A couple of technology-driven tele-town halls reached roughly 35,000 people in the weeks preceding public hearings on the rate increase case. ...