Appalachian Power in Virginia: rates per kWh, bills and winter peaks
Appalachian Power's 467,581 residential customers in Virginia paid an average of 17.16¢ per kWh in 2025, for an average bill of $186.00 a month on 1,084 kWh.1 Over the last 12 months (Sep 2025–Aug 2026) the average was 16.38¢, and 15.63¢ in August 2026.2
EIA-861 2025 final (released October 7, 2026) and EIA's monthly utility survey through August 2026 (preliminary); next monthly update expected November 24, 2026. Averages are revenue divided by kWh, all charges included: not the rate printed in a tariff.
31 of 133 Virginia counties served (EIA-861 2025)
In 2025 Appalachian Power's Virginia homes paid 17.16¢ per kWh, the highest1 average among the state's utilities with 10,000 or more residential customers. The 2026 months point the other way: 15.63¢ per kWh in August 2026, −10.2%2 on a year earlier, while the Virginia average rose 11.3%4.
Appalachian Power's price per kWh, by period
Appalachian Power, the operating name of Appalachian Power Company and a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP), served 467,581 residential customers in southwestern and central Virginia in 2025: 12.9% of the state's residential customers, second only to Dominion Energy Virginia1. What those homes paid on average depends on the period you look at:
| Period | Average residential price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Year 2025 | 17.16¢ per kWh1 | EIA-861, final |
| Year 2024 | 17.02¢ per kWh3 | EIA-861 |
| Last 12 months, September 2025 to August 2026 | 16.38¢ per kWh | EIA-861M, 2026 months preliminary |
| August 20264 | 15.63¢ per kWh2 | EIA-861M, preliminary |
Each figure is average revenue per kWh: total residential billing divided by the kWh sold. The basic customer charge, the fuel factor and the riders are folded in; most taxes are not. It is therefore not a line from the tariff, and a household that uses little electricity pays more per kWh than this average while a large user pays less.
The highest 2025 average among Virginia's larger utilities
17.16¢ per kWh made Appalachian Power the highest of the 17 Virginia utilities with 10,000 or more residential customers in 2025, 12.3% above the Virginia average of 15.28¢ per kWh5. The lowest in that group, City of Harrisonburg, averaged 11.51¢ per kWh, a gap of 5.65¢ per kWh. The other three utilities with 100,000 or more Virginia homes averaged less: Dominion Energy Virginia 15.20¢ per kWh, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative 15.49¢ per kWh and NOVEC 12.60¢ per kWh1.
Source: EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final. EIA-861 2025 final. Average revenue per kWh is all charges divided by kWh; it is not a tariff rate.
Show the numbers
| Utility | average residential price (bundled customers) |
|---|---|
| NOVEC (VA) | 12.60¢ |
| Dominion Energy Virginia (VA) | 15.20¢ |
| Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (VA) | 15.49¢ |
| Appalachian Power (VA) | 17.16¢ |
The national picture is different. Among the 177 US utilities with 100,000 or more residential customers, Appalachian Power ranked tied for 56th highest of 177, and it was 3.5% below the national average for investor-owned utilities. The median of that national group was 15.07¢ per kWh1 in 2025.
Which utility serves a home is fixed by territory, not chosen. EIA's records place Appalachian Power in 31 Virginia counties and independent cities; in 266 of them at least one other utility also reports customers, so only the company's service map settles a given address.
2026: a falling price while Virginia's rose
The annual data showed little movement: +0.8%1 from 2024 to 2025, against +6.0%5 for all Virginia providers. The monthly survey since then runs below the 2025 level. Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) Appalachian Power averaged 16.38¢ per kWh, against 17.27¢ per kWh2 at Dominion and 16.64¢ per kWh4 statewide. On the 12-month basis Dominion, not Appalachian Power, had the higher average.
In August 2026 the average was 15.63¢ per kWh, −10.2% against August 2025. Over the same comparison Dominion's average moved +17.2%, Rappahannock's +5.3%2 and the statewide residential average +11.3%4. One month is preliminary and seasonal, and EIA revises it when the annual survey is final; the 12-month figure is the steadier guide.
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential revenue divided by kWh in each month, as reported to EIA's monthly survey (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary).
Show the numbers
| Month | Appalachian Power (¢/kWh) | kWh per customer | Bill per customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 16.89¢ | 1,996 | $337.11 |
| February 2025 | 17.19¢ | 1,301 | $223.58 |
| March 2025 | 17.32¢ | 1,089 | $188.63 |
| April 2025 | 17.78¢ | 771 | $137.06 |
| May 2025 | 17.80¢ | 739 | $131.59 |
| June 2025 | 17.64¢ | 947 | $167.07 |
| July 2025 | 17.18¢ | 1,232 | $211.72 |
| August 2025 | 17.40¢ | 950 | $165.24 |
| September 2025 | 17.72¢ | 730 | $129.42 |
| October 2025 | 17.27¢ | 781 | $134.87 |
| November 2025 | 17.02¢ | 965 | $164.15 |
| December 2025 | 16.07¢ | 1,502 | $241.42 |
| January 2026 | 16.05¢ | 1,710 | $274.40 |
| February 2026 | 15.96¢ | 1,530 | $244.15 |
| March 2026 | 16.64¢ | 1,086 | $180.73 |
| April 2026 | 18.02¢ | 601 | $108.39 |
| May 2026 | 19.11¢ | 799 | $152.75 |
| June 2026 | 14.00¢ | 988 | $138.36 |
| July 2026 | 15.54¢ | 1,144 | $177.73 |
| August 2026 | 15.63¢ | 1,005 | $157.06 |
Appalachian Power's Virginia prices are set by the Virginia State Corporation Commission. Base rates are reviewed under Code of Virginia § 56-585.1, while fuel and purchased-power costs are recovered separately through a fuel factor that the utility re-estimates every year under § 56-249.6. Because the fuel factor can move up or down between base-rate reviews, the average price can fall in a year without any cut in base rates. The guide to rate cases explains how those decisions reach a bill.
A January peak and an April low
Appalachian Power's average residential bill was $186.00 a month in 2025, up +4.3% from $178.32. Use per home rose from 1,048 kWh3 to 1,084 kWh1 a month, which explains most of that increase given the small change in price. Statewide, the 2025 average bill was $163.057.
The winter swing is wide. In EIA's monthly data for September 2025 to August 2026, use per Appalachian Power home peaked at 1,710 kWh in January 2026, with an average bill of $274.40, and bottomed at 601 kWh in April 2026, with a bill of $108.392. Across all Virginia utilities, the same months ranged from 1,509 kWh to 748 kWh4. The highest bill of the year comes in winter, not summer, so the winter months matter more for a household budget than the annual average.
Source: EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility. kWh per residential customer in each month (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). The table adds the average bill and price for the month.
Show the numbers
| Month | kWh per customer | Bill per customer | ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | 730 | $129.42 | 17.72¢ |
| October 2025 | 781 | $134.87 | 17.27¢ |
| November 2025 | 965 | $164.15 | 17.02¢ |
| December 2025 | 1,502 | $241.42 | 16.07¢ |
| January 2026 | 1,710 | $274.40 | 16.05¢ |
| February 2026 | 1,530 | $244.15 | 15.96¢ |
| March 2026 | 1,086 | $180.73 | 16.64¢ |
| April 2026 | 601 | $108.39 | 18.02¢ |
| May 2026 | 799 | $152.75 | 19.11¢ |
| June 2026 | 988 | $138.36 | 14.00¢ |
| July 2026 | 1,144 | $177.73 | 15.54¢ |
| August 2026 | 1,005 | $157.06 | 15.63¢ |
The 12-month average bill was $175.30 on 1,070 kWh, below Dominion's $179.55 and Rappahannock's $194.732 over the same months.
More outage time than most of Virginia
Appalachian Power customers averaged 1,116 minutes without power in 2025 including major events, more than the Virginia average of 462 minutes, and 328 minutes excluding major event days, with 2.36 interruptions per customer, all under IEEE 1366. The state's figures, 462 minutes including major events and 183 minutes excluding them, already ranked 7th highest and 9th highest among the states. Rappahannock and NOVEC, which report on the same standard, recorded 428 minutes and 94 minutes8 including major events.
Source: EIA-861 2025, reliability. EIA-861 2025 final. Average revenue per kWh is all charges divided by kWh; it is not a tariff rate.
Show the numbers
| Utility | outage minutes per customer (all events) |
|---|---|
| NOVEC (VA) | 94 |
| Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (VA) | 428 |
| Appalachian Power (WV) | 1,035 |
| Appalachian Power (VA) | 1,116 |
The same company across the West Virginia line
Appalachian Power Company also serves 347,654 homes as Appalachian Power in West Virginia, under the Public Service Commission of West Virginia. The two jurisdictions were close in 2025: 16.97¢ per kWh in West Virginia against 17.16¢ per kWh in Virginia. West Virginia homes used more, 1,157 kWh a month against 1,084 kWh, so their average bill was higher, $196.401.
The 2026 months separate them. Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) the West Virginia average was 17.19¢ per kWh against 16.38¢ per kWh in Virginia, and in August 20264 it was 18.31¢ per kWh (+5.3% on a year earlier) against 15.63¢ per kWh (−10.2%2). West Virginia's side recorded 1,035 minutes8 of outages including major events, close to the Virginia side's figure.
Across American Electric Power (AEP)'s operating utilities with pages, residential averages ranged from 12.14¢ per kWh at SWEPCO (Arkansas) to 18.97¢ per kWh1 at AEP Ohio in 2025; the AEP page compares them.
Smart meters, time-of-use and rooftop solar
Nearly all of Appalachian Power's Virginia residential meters were advanced meters in 2025 (99.9%), yet only 1,540 customers, 0.3% of the total, were on a residential time-of-use rate. Statewide, 0.6%9 of residential customers were enrolled in time-varying pricing. The time-of-use guide explains when such a rate can lower a winter-heavy bill.
Rooftop solar is more common than on the West Virginia side: 6,910 net-metered residential installations, 14.8 per 1,000 customers, with 58.9 megawatts of capacity, against 6.2 per 1,000 in West Virginia and 20.29 per 1,000 across Virginia.
Business customers
Appalachian Power's 82,313 commercial accounts paid an average of 13.39¢ per kWh in 2025, with an average bill of $495.69 a month, far below the Virginia commercial average bill of $1,608.327. Its 1,931 industrial accounts paid 10.24¢ per kWh, and the average across every customer class was 14.04¢ per kWh1.
Where Appalachian Power serves in Virginia
The territory covers 31 counties and independent cities in EIA's records, among them Albemarle County, Amherst County, Appomattox County, Bedford County, Bland County, Botetourt County, Buchanan County, Buckingham County, Campbell County, Carroll County, Craig County, Dickenson County and 19 others. Appalachian Power is the only distribution utility reporting customers in 56 of them. For the other utilities and the statewide figures, see electricity in Virginia.
Source: EIA-861 2025, service territory; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties. EIA-861 2025 service territory: 31 counties. Counts whole counties even where the utility serves only part of one; check the utility's own service-area map for an address.
Show the numbers
| County | Other utilities reporting service |
|---|---|
| Albemarle County | Dominion Energy Virginia, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, Central Virginia Electric Cooperative |
| Amherst County | Dominion Energy Virginia, Central Virginia Electric Cooperative |
| Appomattox County | Dominion Energy Virginia, Southside Electric Cooperative, Central Virginia Electric Cooperative |
| Bedford County | Dominion Energy Virginia, Southside Electric Cooperative, Town of Bedford |
| Bland County | none |
| Botetourt County | Dominion Energy Virginia, Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative |
| Buchanan County | Dominion Energy Virginia |
| Buckingham County | Dominion Energy Virginia, Southside Electric Cooperative, Central Virginia Electric Cooperative |
| Campbell County | Dominion Energy Virginia, Southside Electric Cooperative, Central Virginia Electric Cooperative |
| Carroll County | Dominion Energy Virginia |
| Craig County | Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative |
| Dickenson County | Kentucky Utilities Co |
| Floyd County | none |
| Fluvanna County | Dominion Energy Virginia, Central Virginia Electric Cooperative |
| Franklin County | Dominion Energy Virginia |
| Giles County | Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative |
| Grayson County | none |
| Henry County | Dominion Energy Virginia, City of Danville, City of Martinsville |
| Montgomery County | City of Radford, Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative, Virginia Tech Electric Service |
| Nelson County | Dominion Energy Virginia, Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative, Central Virginia Electric Cooperative |
| Patrick County | City of Danville |
| Pittsylvania County | Dominion Energy Virginia, Southside Electric Cooperative, City of Danville, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative |
| Pulaski County | City of Radford |
| Roanoke County | City of Salem, Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative |
| Russell County | Kentucky Utilities Co |
| Scott County | Kentucky Utilities Co, Bristol Virginia Utilities, Powell Valley Electric Cooperative |
| Smyth County | none |
| Tazewell County | Dominion Energy Virginia, Town of Richlands |
| Washington County | Bristol Virginia Utilities |
| Wise County | Kentucky Utilities Co, Powell Valley Electric Cooperative |
| Wythe County | none |
Appalachian Power questions
What are Appalachian Power's rates per kWh in Virginia?
The tariff splits the bill into a basic customer charge, energy charges, a fuel factor and riders, so no single line is 'the rate'. What Virginia residential customers paid on average, all of those included and most taxes excluded, was 17.16¢ per kWh1 in 2025, 16.38¢ per kWh over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) and 15.63¢ per kWh2 in August 20264 (preliminary).
Did Appalachian Power raise rates in Virginia?
From 2024 to 2025 its residential average rose 0.8%, from 17.02¢ per kWh3 to 17.16¢ per kWh1. The 2026 monthly data show a fall: 15.63¢ per kWh in August 20264, −10.2%2 against August 2025. Individual rate changes are decided by the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
What is the average Appalachian Power bill in Virginia?
$186.00 a month in 2025 for 1,084 kWh1, according to EIA. Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) the computed average was $175.30, ranging from $108.39 in April 2026 to $274.40 in January 20262.
Can I buy electricity from another supplier in Appalachian Power's territory?
EIA counted 01 Virginia residential customers buying from a competitive supplier in 2025. In practice every Appalachian Power home buys supply and delivery together from the utility, which is what the averages on this page cover.
Related pages
Sources
- EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2025 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861M monthly sales and revenue by utility; table sales_ult_cust_2025 and _2026; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024 final; table Sales_Ult_Cust_2024; 2024, final (file updated December 3, 2025); released December 3, 2025. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state; table sales_revenue.xlsx (EPM Table 5.6.A); January 2001 to 2026-08; months since January 2026 preliminary; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Historical state data, annual sales, revenue and customers; table HS861 2010-.xlsx; 2010-2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, service territory; table Service_Territory_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, average monthly bill by state; table Average_Bill_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, reliability; table Reliability_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA-861 2025, advanced meters, dynamic pricing and net metering; table Advanced_Meters, Dynamic_Pricing, Net_Metering 2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties; table cb_2025_us_county_5m; cb_2021_us_county_5m; 2025 (2021 for Connecticut). www.census.gov
How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.