Potomac Edison in West Virginia: rates, bills and winter use
Potomac Edison's 138,070 residential customers in West Virginia paid an average of 13.10¢ per kWh in 2025, for an average bill of $164.57 a month on 1,256 kWh.1 Over the last 12 months (Sep 2025–Aug 2026) the average was 12.92¢, and 13.10¢ 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.
8 of 55 West Virginia counties served (EIA-861 2025)
Potomac Edison's West Virginia homes paid the lowest average price of the state's large utilities in 2025, 13.10¢ per kWh, but used 1,256 kWh a month, so their bill ($164.57) landed next to the state average of $165.136. After a 4.1%1 rise in 2025, its August 20263 average was −0.9% against a year earlier, while Mon Power's was +4.4% and Appalachian Power's +5.3%2.
Price per kWh at Potomac Edison, by period
The Potomac Edison Company, a FirstEnergy utility, served 138,070 residential customers in eastern West Virginia in 2025, 16.1% of the state's homes. Their average price, 13.10¢ per kWh, was the lowest of the 4 West Virginia utilities with 10,000 or more residential customers and 14.9% below the West Virginia average. Among the 177 large utilities EIA reports nationally it ranked 37th lowest of 177, below the median of 15.07¢ per kWh, and it was 26.3% below the national average for investor-owned utilities1.
Each of these numbers is average revenue per kWh: everything residential customers were billed, divided by the kWh they used, with most taxes left out. It is not a line in the tariff. A small apartment pays more per kWh than this average, because the fixed monthly charge weighs more on a small bill, and an electrically heated house pays less.
Which period a figure covers changes the answer. The table sets Potomac Edison beside the state's two other large utilities.
| Average residential price | Potomac Edison | Mon Power | Appalachian Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2025 (EIA-861, final) | 13.10¢ per kWh | 14.31¢ per kWh | 16.97¢ per kWh |
| Change, 2024 to 2025 | +4.1% | +2.4% | +1.2%1 |
| Last 12 months, September 2025 to August 2026 (EIA-861M) | 12.92¢ per kWh | 14.50¢ per kWh | 17.19¢ per kWh |
| August 2026, preliminary | 13.10¢ per kWh | 14.87¢ per kWh | 18.31¢ per kWh |
| August 20263 against a year earlier | −0.9% | +4.4% | +5.3%2 |
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¢ |
| Potomac Edison (MD) | 15.44¢ |
| Appalachian Power (WV) | 16.97¢ |
The 2025 rise and what 2026 shows so far
Potomac Edison's West Virginia average went from 12.59¢ per kWh4 in 2024 to 13.10¢ per kWh in 2025, up 4.1%1. That was a larger increase than at Mon Power or Appalachian Power and about twice the statewide change (+2.1%5), though from a lower starting point.
In the monthly survey, the 12-month average to August 2026, 12.92¢ per kWh, sits slightly below the 2025 figure, and August 2026 was −0.9% against August 2025. In the same month Mon Power was +4.4%, Appalachian Power +5.3% and the statewide residential average +4.4%3. On the Maryland side of the same company, the change was +12.5%2. Monthly figures for 2026 are preliminary and one month can shift with use, so the next releases will show whether this holds.
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 | Potomac Edison (¢/kWh) | kWh per customer | Bill per customer |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 13.04¢ | 2,165 | $282.38 |
| February 2025 | 12.97¢ | 1,714 | $222.31 |
| March 2025 | 13.00¢ | 1,165 | $151.46 |
| April 2025 | 13.03¢ | 940 | $122.46 |
| May 2025 | 13.16¢ | 824 | $108.46 |
| June 2025 | 13.11¢ | 1,076 | $141.04 |
| July 2025 | 13.06¢ | 1,310 | $171.15 |
| August 2025 | 13.22¢ | 1,052 | $139.00 |
| September 2025 | 13.05¢ | 768 | $100.22 |
| October 2025 | 13.27¢ | 895 | $118.71 |
| November 2025 | 13.25¢ | 1,216 | $161.08 |
| December 2025 | 13.14¢ | 1,958 | $257.30 |
| January 2026 | 12.64¢ | 2,135 | $269.79 |
| February 2026 | 12.82¢ | 1,786 | $229.03 |
| March 2026 | 12.88¢ | 1,210 | $155.80 |
| April 2026 | 12.90¢ | 833 | $107.46 |
| May 2026 | 12.98¢ | 879 | $114.13 |
| June 2026 | 12.71¢ | 1,031 | $130.98 |
| July 2026 | 12.63¢ | 1,218 | $153.79 |
| August 2026 | 13.10¢ | 1,093 | $143.17 |
Potomac Edison's West Virginia rates are set by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia, in a case shared with Mon Power. In the last base rate case, the commission approved a settlement in March 2024 that granted about half the increase the two companies had requested in 2023. The commission's case search shows any filing made since; the guide to rate cases explains how decisions reach a bill.
More kWh per home than its neighbors
Potomac Edison's low price does not produce a low bill. Its homes used 1,256 kWh a month on average in 2025, against 1,157 kWh at Appalachian Power, 932 kWh at Mon Power and 1,073 kWh across the state. The average bill came to $164.57, against $133.32 at Mon Power, $196.401 at Appalachian Power and a state average of $165.136.
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 use |
|---|---|
| Mon Power (WV) | 932 |
| Appalachian Power (WV) | 1,157 |
| Potomac Edison (WV) | 1,256 |
The bill also grew faster than the price: $152.73 in 2024, $164.57 in 2025 (+7.8%), because use per home went from 1,213 kWh4 to 1,256 kWh1 a month. Over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) use held at 1,252 kWh and the average bill was $161.772.
January bills nearly three times September's
The extra use comes in winter. In EIA's monthly data for September 2025 to August 2026, the average Potomac Edison home in West Virginia used 2,135 kWh in January 2026, for a bill of $269.79, and 768 kWh in September 2025, for $100.22. Mon Power's peak month, January 2026, averaged 1,314 kWh per home and Appalachian Power's 1,767 kWh2.
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 | 768 | $100.22 | 13.05¢ |
| October 2025 | 895 | $118.71 | 13.27¢ |
| November 2025 | 1,216 | $161.08 | 13.25¢ |
| December 2025 | 1,958 | $257.30 | 13.14¢ |
| January 2026 | 2,135 | $269.79 | 12.64¢ |
| February 2026 | 1,786 | $229.03 | 12.82¢ |
| March 2026 | 1,210 | $155.80 | 12.88¢ |
| April 2026 | 833 | $107.46 | 12.90¢ |
| May 2026 | 879 | $114.13 | 12.98¢ |
| June 2026 | 1,031 | $130.98 | 12.71¢ |
| July 2026 | 1,218 | $153.79 | 12.63¢ |
| August 2026 | 1,093 | $143.17 | 13.10¢ |
EIA's 2020 household survey found space heating took 26% of household electricity use in West Virginia, tied for highest among the states, against 11%7 for air conditioning. A home that heats with electricity should budget for the midwinter bill, not the 12-month average. Because the fixed charge is spread over more kWh in a heavy month, the average price per kWh tends to be lower in winter even as the bill peaks.
Eight counties in the Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands
EIA's service-territory records place Potomac Edison in 8 West Virginia counties: Berkeley County, Grant County, Hampshire County, Hardy County, Jefferson County, Mineral County, Morgan County and Pendleton County. It is the only distribution utility reporting customers in 5 of them; in the other 38, at least one other utility does too, so the company's service map, not the county or ZIP code, decides who serves an address. EIA publishes no price for a town or county, only for the utility as a whole.
Source: EIA-861 2025, service territory; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, counties. EIA-861 2025 service territory: 8 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 |
|---|---|
| Berkeley County | none |
| Grant County | Mon Power |
| Hampshire County | none |
| Hardy County | none |
| Jefferson County | none |
| Mineral County | Mon Power |
| Morgan County | none |
| Pendleton County | Mon Power |
Outage time well under the state's
West Virginia ranked the highest among the states in 2025 for minutes without power per customer (1,013 minutes, including major storms). Potomac Edison's West Virginia customers averaged 440 minutes, fewer than the West Virginia average of 1,013 minutes, and 249 minutes excluding major event days, against 498 minutes statewide. They had 1.96 interruptions on average, against 3.08 for the state. Mon Power, in the same rate case, reported 1,250 minutes, and Appalachian Power 1,035 minutes10; all figures follow IEEE 1366. The power outages ranking compares the states.
Two states, one company
Potomac Edison also delivers power to 258,523 homes in Maryland, under a different commission and with retail choice. Its Maryland Standard Offer Service homes paid 15.44¢ per kWh on average in 2025 and 16.63¢ per kWh over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026), against 13.10¢ per kWh and 12.92¢ per kWh2 in West Virginia. Across the 8 large FirstEnergy utilities, the West Virginia side of Potomac Edison had the lowest 2025 residential average, 13.10¢ per kWh; the highest was FirstEnergy Pennsylvania, at 18.77¢ per kWh1.
Meters and rooftop solar
Potomac Edison reported 0.0%11 of its West Virginia residential meters as advanced (AMI) meters in EIA's 2025 count. Rates that change by hour generally need meters that record hourly use.
Rooftop solar is more common than at the state's other two large utilities, though still rare: 1,472 residential net-metered installations in 2025, 10.7 per 1,000 customers, with 13.6 megawatts of capacity. Mon Power had 3.3 per 1,000 and Appalachian Power 6.211. The 2024 settlement linked above lowered the credit for customers joining net metering from January 2025.
Business accounts and help with bills
The company's 20,479 commercial accounts in West Virginia paid 11.63¢ per kWh on average in 2025, close to the residential figure, and its 1,791 industrial accounts 7.92¢ per kWh, with an average monthly bill of $3,504.33. Residential, commercial and industrial accounts together, 160,340 of them, averaged 11.51¢ per kWh1.
Households facing large winter bills can apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program; West Virginia's federal allocation was $35.2 million12 for fiscal year 2026. The guide to help paying electric bills lists the programs.
Potomac Edison West Virginia: common questions
What are Potomac Edison's electric rates per kWh in West Virginia?
EIA reports what customers paid on average, not tariff lines. Potomac Edison's West Virginia residential customers paid 13.10¢ per kWh1 in 2025, 12.92¢ per kWh over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) and 13.10¢ per kWh2 in August 20263 (preliminary). Each is residential revenue divided by kWh, so the customer charge, fuel and purchased-power recovery and riders are included; the energy charges printed in the tariff leave those out and look lower.
What is the average Potomac Edison electric bill in West Virginia?
$164.57 a month in 2025 for 1,256 kWh1, and $161.77 over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026). Winter makes the difference: EIA's monthly data put the average bill at $269.79 in January 2026 and $100.22 in September 20252.
Is there a Potomac Edison rate increase in 2026?
EIA's monthly averages answer what customers actually paid. After rising 4.1%1 from 2024 to 2025, the residential average in August 20263 was −0.9% against the same month a year earlier, and the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026) averaged 12.92¢ per kWh2. 2026 months are preliminary. Rate changes are decided by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia.
Are Potomac Edison's rates the same in Maryland?
No. Each state's commission sets its own rates, and Maryland homes may buy supply elsewhere. In 2025 Potomac Edison's Maryland Standard Offer Service homes paid 15.44¢ per kWh on average, against 13.10¢ per kWh for its West Virginia homes. West Virginia has no residential retail choice (0.0%1 of homes with a supplier in 2025), so Potomac Edison supplies and delivers the power there.
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, 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 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-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
- 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
- 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
- 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
How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.