Appalachian Power in West Virginia: price per kWh, bills and 2026 increases
Appalachian Power's 347,654 residential customers in West Virginia paid an average of 16.97¢ per kWh in 2025, for an average bill of $196.40 a month on 1,157 kWh.1 Over the last 12 months (Sep 2025–Aug 2026) the average was 17.19¢, and 18.31¢ 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.
21 of 55 West Virginia counties served (EIA-861 2025)
Appalachian Power's West Virginia homes paid an average of 16.97¢ per kWh in 2025, 17.19¢ per kWh over the 12 months to August 2026 and 18.31¢ per kWh in August 20265 alone, +5.3%2 on a year earlier. They also use more electricity than the average West Virginia home, so their 2025 average bill of $196.401 was well above the state's $165.136.
Appalachian Power's average price per kWh, period by period
Appalachian Power Company, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP), is West Virginia's largest utility by homes served: 347,654 residential customers in 2025, 40.5% of the state's total, just ahead of Mon Power1. Its residential average has been above the statewide figure in every period EIA publishes:
| Period | Appalachian Power (WV) | West Virginia, all utilities | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2024 | 16.77¢ per kWh3 | 15.07¢ per kWh | EIA-861 |
| Year 2025 | 16.97¢ per kWh1 | 15.39¢ per kWh4 | EIA-861, final |
| 12 months, September 2025 to August 2026 | 17.19¢ per kWh | 15.53¢ per kWh | EIA-861M, 2026 months preliminary |
| August 2026 | 18.31¢ per kWh2 | 16.31¢ per kWh5 | EIA-861M, preliminary |
These are averages of revenue per kWh: everything Appalachian Power billed its West Virginia homes, divided by the kWh they bought. The customer charge, fuel costs and riders sit inside them; most taxes do not. No line on the tariff will match them, and a household's own figure depends on how much it uses, because the fixed monthly charge weighs more on a small bill. The 2025 figure is the one to use for rankings, the 12-month figure for what homes pay now, and a single month only against the same month a year earlier.
Why Appalachian Power bills run higher than the state's
The average Appalachian Power bill in West Virginia was $196.40 a month in 2025, against $165.13 for all West Virginia homes, a state figure that itself ranked 10th highest among the states. Two things combine. The price was 10.3% above the West Virginia average, and use was higher too: 1,157 kWh1 a month per home, against 1,073 kWh6 statewide.
The comparison with FirstEnergy's two West Virginia utilities shows how each factor works. Mon Power homes paid 14.31¢ per kWh and used 932 kWh, for an average bill of $133.32. Potomac Edison homes used even more than Appalachian Power's, 1,256 kWh, but at 13.10¢ per kWh their bill averaged $164.571.
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 monthly residential bill |
|---|---|
| Mon Power (WV) | $133.32 |
| Potomac Edison (WV) | $164.57 |
| Wheeling Power Co (WV) | $165.54 |
| Appalachian Power (WV) | $196.40 |
The bill also grew faster than the price. From 2024 to 2025 it went from $185.47 to $196.40 (+5.9%), while the average price rose only 1.2%; most of the difference came from use per home, which climbed from 1,106 kWh3 to 1,157 kWh1 a month.
Winter, not summer, sets the largest bill
Over the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026, use per Appalachian Power home in West Virginia peaked at 1,767 kWh in January 2026, when the computed average bill reached $279.80. In April 2026 it fell to 634 kWh and $117.192. Across all West Virginia utilities, the same 12 months ran from 671 kWh to 1,622 kWh5, so Appalachian Power's winter peak was the steeper one.
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 | 818 | $148.08 | 18.10¢ |
| October 2025 | 824 | $151.98 | 18.44¢ |
| November 2025 | 987 | $175.38 | 17.77¢ |
| December 2025 | 1,594 | $246.09 | 15.44¢ |
| January 2026 | 1,767 | $279.80 | 15.83¢ |
| February 2026 | 1,586 | $236.15 | 14.89¢ |
| March 2026 | 1,213 | $225.40 | 18.58¢ |
| April 2026 | 634 | $117.19 | 18.49¢ |
| May 2026 | 739 | $149.87 | 20.28¢ |
| June 2026 | 1,094 | $183.58 | 16.78¢ |
| July 2026 | 1,205 | $215.61 | 17.89¢ |
| August 2026 | 1,177 | $215.47 | 18.31¢ |
EIA's household survey points to electric heating. In its 2020 edition, space heating took 26% of the electricity West Virginia homes used, tied for highest among the states, while air conditioning took 11%7. Those survey figures are for the whole state and date from 2020.
Source: EIA, Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020, state data. Share of household electricity by end use in 2020, the latest Residential Energy Consumption Survey with state estimates (a pandemic year; RECS 2024 consumption data are due in spring 2027). "Everything else" covers lighting, cooking, laundry, electronics and other appliances.
Show the numbers
| Air conditioning | Space heating | Water heating | Refrigerators | Everything else | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 11% | 26% | 18% | 6% | 39% |
| United States | 19% | 12% | 12% | 8% | 48% |
A budget built on the annual average bill will fall short in the coldest months. West Virginia received $35.2 million8 in federal LIHEAP energy-assistance funds for fiscal 2026; the West Virginia page covers help with bills.
The 2026 increase in EIA's monthly data
The annual data showed a small change: +1.2% from 2024 to 2025, less than the statewide +2.1%4, Mon Power's +2.4% or Potomac Edison's +4.1%1. The monthly survey since then points higher. The 12 months to August 2026 averaged 17.19¢ per kWh2, above the 2025 level, while the statewide 12-month average moved +0.9%5 on the previous 12 months.
In August 2026, Appalachian Power's West Virginia average was 18.31¢ per kWh, +5.3% against August 2025. Over the same comparison Mon Power moved +4.4%, Potomac Edison −0.9%2 and the statewide residential average +4.4%5. The 2026 months are preliminary, and EIA revises them when the annual survey is final.
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 | 15.17¢ | 1,970 | $298.86 |
| February 2025 | 15.85¢ | 1,448 | $229.52 |
| March 2025 | 17.72¢ | 1,180 | $209.16 |
| April 2025 | 18.28¢ | 816 | $149.07 |
| May 2025 | 18.45¢ | 741 | $136.73 |
| June 2025 | 18.07¢ | 993 | $179.38 |
| July 2025 | 17.05¢ | 1,389 | $236.82 |
| August 2025 | 17.39¢ | 1,120 | $194.68 |
| September 2025 | 18.10¢ | 818 | $148.08 |
| October 2025 | 18.44¢ | 824 | $151.98 |
| November 2025 | 17.77¢ | 987 | $175.38 |
| December 2025 | 15.44¢ | 1,594 | $246.09 |
| January 2026 | 15.83¢ | 1,767 | $279.80 |
| February 2026 | 14.89¢ | 1,586 | $236.15 |
| March 2026 | 18.58¢ | 1,213 | $225.40 |
| April 2026 | 18.49¢ | 634 | $117.19 |
| May 2026 | 20.28¢ | 739 | $149.87 |
| June 2026 | 16.78¢ | 1,094 | $183.58 |
| July 2026 | 17.89¢ | 1,205 | $215.61 |
| August 2026 | 18.31¢ | 1,177 | $215.47 |
EIA's figures record what customers paid, not the decisions behind it. Appalachian Power's West Virginia rates, including base rates and the recovery of fuel and purchased-power costs, are set by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia, whose case records hold the current filings. The guide to rate increases explains how a commission order becomes a line on a bill.
The longer run is a state-level series. West Virginia's residential average rose from 6.26¢ per kWh9 in 2001 to 15.39¢ per kWh in 2025, +145.8%, tied for 6th highest among the states over that span, and it rose in 184 of the years since 2002. The chart below is that state series, set against the US average.
Source: EIA, Historical state data, annual sales, revenue and customers; EIA, Historical state data, monthly sales and revenue 1990-2009. Average revenue per kWh (all charges, nominal dollars), each calendar year: 2010 onward EIA-861 final annual data, 2001–2009 the sum of the monthly survey.
Show the numbers
| Period | West Virginia (¢/kWh) | United States (¢/kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 6.26¢ | 8.58¢ |
| 2002 | 6.23¢ | 8.44¢ |
| 2003 | 6.24¢ | 8.72¢ |
| 2004 | 6.23¢ | 8.95¢ |
| 2005 | 6.21¢ | 9.45¢ |
| 2006 | 6.35¢ | 10.40¢ |
| 2007 | 6.73¢ | 10.65¢ |
| 2008 | 7.06¢ | 11.26¢ |
| 2009 | 7.90¢ | 11.51¢ |
| 2010 | 8.79¢ | 11.54¢ |
| 2011 | 9.39¢ | 11.72¢ |
| 2012 | 9.85¢ | 11.88¢ |
| 2013 | 9.52¢ | 12.13¢ |
| 2014 | 9.34¢ | 12.52¢ |
| 2015 | 10.08¢ | 12.65¢ |
| 2016 | 11.44¢ | 12.55¢ |
| 2017 | 11.63¢ | 12.89¢ |
| 2018 | 11.18¢ | 12.87¢ |
| 2019 | 11.25¢ | 13.01¢ |
| 2020 | 11.80¢ | 13.15¢ |
| 2021 | 12.15¢ | 13.66¢ |
| 2022 | 13.23¢ | 15.04¢ |
| 2023 | 14.05¢ | 16.00¢ |
| 2024 | 15.07¢ | 16.48¢ |
| 2025 | 15.39¢ | 17.23¢ |
Rank in West Virginia, nationally and within AEP
Among the 4 West Virginia utilities with 10,000 or more residential customers, Appalachian Power had the 2nd highest average in 2025. Wheeling Power Co was highest at 17.61¢ per kWh and Potomac Edison lowest at 13.10¢ per kWh, a spread of 4.51¢ 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) |
|---|---|
| Potomac Edison (WV) | 13.10¢ |
| Mon Power (WV) | 14.31¢ |
| Appalachian Power (WV) | 16.97¢ |
| Appalachian Power (VA) | 17.16¢ |
| Wheeling Power Co (WV) | 17.61¢ |
Nationally the picture is middling. Among the 177 US utilities with 100,000 or more residential customers, Appalachian Power's West Virginia side ranked 61st highest of 177 in 2025, against a median of 15.07¢ per kWh, and it was 4.6% below the national average for investor-owned utilities1.
The same company serves Appalachian Power customers in Virginia under a different regulator, and the two sides have parted in 2026. In 2025 they were close, 16.97¢ per kWh in West Virginia and 17.16¢ per kWh in Virginia. Over the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026 the Virginia side averaged 16.38¢ per kWh, against 17.19¢ per kWh here, and in August 20265 Virginia's average moved −10.2% on a year earlier while West Virginia's moved +5.3%2. Across all of American Electric Power (AEP)'s operating utilities with pages, 2025 averages ran from 12.14¢ per kWh at SWEPCO (Arkansas) to 18.97¢ per kWh1 at AEP Ohio; the AEP page lists them all.
Outages in the state with the most outage minutes
West Virginia had the highest average outage time of any state in 2025: 1,013 minutes per customer including major events and 498 minutes excluding them. Appalachian Power's West Virginia customers averaged 1,035 minutes including major events, more than the West Virginia average of 1,013 minutes, and 546 minutes excluding major event days, with 2.98 interruptions per customer, all reported under IEEE 1366. Mon Power recorded 1,250 minutes and Potomac Edison 440 minutes10 on the same all-events basis.
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) |
|---|---|
| Potomac Edison (WV) | 440 |
| Appalachian Power (WV) | 1,035 |
| Appalachian Power (VA) | 1,116 |
| Mon Power (WV) | 1,250 |
Meters, time-of-use enrollment and net-metered solar
Every Appalachian Power residential meter in West Virginia was an advanced meter in 2025 (100.0%), against 0.0% at Mon Power. The meters allow time-based pricing, but few homes use it: 409 customers, 0.1%, were on a residential time-of-use rate, below the statewide share of 0.3%11. The time-of-use guide explains how such a rate interacts with a winter-heavy load.
Rooftop solar is a little more common than across the state: 2,168 net-metered residential installations with 20.0 megawatts of capacity in 2025, 6.2 per 1,000 customers against 5.6 statewide and 3.311 at Mon Power.
Commercial and industrial accounts
Appalachian Power's 66,951 West Virginia commercial accounts paid an average of 12.74¢ per kWh in 2025, with an average bill of $492.41 a month, against $513.186 for the state. Its 2,162 industrial accounts paid 9.02¢ per kWh. Both were higher than at Mon Power (10.71¢ per kWh and 7.93¢ per kWh). Across every customer class Appalachian Power's West Virginia average was 13.25¢ per kWh1.
Counties on Appalachian Power's West Virginia lines
EIA's service-territory records place Appalachian Power in 21 West Virginia counties, among them Boone County, Cabell County, Clay County, Fayette County, Greenbrier County, Jackson County, Kanawha County, Lincoln County, Logan County, Mason County, McDowell County, Mercer County and 9 others. It is the only distribution utility reporting customers in 11 of them; in the other 1012, another utility also serves part of the county, and only the utilities' service maps settle a particular address. For the other utilities and the statewide figures, see electricity in West Virginia.
Source: EIA-861 2025, service territory; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties. EIA-861 2025 service territory: 21 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 |
|---|---|
| Boone County | none |
| Cabell County | none |
| Clay County | Mon Power, Black Diamond Power Co |
| Fayette County | none |
| Greenbrier County | Mon Power |
| Jackson County | Mon Power |
| Kanawha County | Black Diamond Power Co |
| Lincoln County | none |
| Logan County | none |
| Mason County | none |
| McDowell County | none |
| Mercer County | none |
| Mingo County | none |
| Monroe County | Mon Power, Craig-Botetourt Electric Cooperative |
| Nicholas County | Mon Power |
| Putnam County | none |
| Raleigh County | Black Diamond Power Co |
| Roane County | Mon Power |
| Summers County | Mon Power |
| Wayne County | none |
| Wyoming County | Black Diamond Power Co |
Appalachian Power West Virginia: common questions
What does Appalachian Power charge per kWh in West Virginia?
EIA reports what customers paid, not tariff lines. West Virginia residential customers paid an average of 16.97¢ per kWh1 in 2025, 17.19¢ per kWh over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026, 2026 months preliminary) and 18.31¢ per kWh2 in August 20265 (preliminary). Each figure is residential revenue divided by kWh sold, so the monthly customer charge, fuel recovery and riders are included and most taxes are not.
What is the average Appalachian Power bill in West Virginia?
$196.40 a month in 2025, for 1,157 kWh1 of use. Over the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026 EIA's monthly data put it at $195.45, with January 2026 the most expensive month at $279.80 and April 2026 the cheapest at $117.192.
Did Appalachian Power raise rates in West Virginia in 2026?
The average price its homes paid has risen. It was +1.2%1 from 2024 to 2025, then +5.3% in August 20265 against August 2025 (preliminary), and the 12-month average to August 2026, 17.19¢ per kWh2, sat above the 2025 figure. The specific rate decisions behind that are made by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia.
Can I choose a different electricity supplier in Appalachian Power's area?
No. EIA counted 01 West Virginia residential customers buying from a competitive supplier in 2025. Appalachian Power sells and delivers the electricity to every home in its territory, and the territory, not the customer, decides which utility serves an address.
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, Historical state data, annual sales, revenue and customers; table HS861 2010-.xlsx; 2010-2025, final; released October 7, 2026. 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-861 2025, average monthly bill by state; table Average_Bill_2025; 2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
- EIA, Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020, state data; table CE4.1.EL.ST, CE5 state tables, state highlights; released June 28, 2023. www.eia.gov
- HHS, LIHEAP funding releases to states; table FY2027 first release; FY2026 final; FY2027 first release (October 9, 2026); FY2026 total; released October 9, 2026. acf.gov
- EIA, Historical state data, monthly sales and revenue 1990-2009; table HS861M 1990-2009.xlsx; 1990-2009, final. 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
- EIA-861 2025, service territory; table Service_Territory_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.