17.16¢
per kWh, 2025
[ Appalachian Power / VA · PUR-2026-00044 ]
Appalachian Power: 5.4% requested for 467,581 Virginia homes
PENDING · DECISION JAN 2027 · 91 DAYS
rate increase requested
18.09¢
per kWh if approved
91
days to decision
+58.7%
since 2020
What your bill becomes
Bill today
After the increase
Difference / month · / year
Estimated at Appalachian Power's average effective residential rate (17.16¢/kWh, EIA, all charges included). Your tariff, fees and taxes differ.
Rate case PUR-2026-00044
Pending Docket PUR-2026-00044 ↗
- May 2026Filed with the commission as docket PUR-2026-00044
- Jan 2027Decision expected · 91 days
Appalachian Power filed its 2026 biennial review with the Virginia State Corporation Commission on May 29, 2026, asking for about $61.4 million more in base revenue a year, a 3.3% increase in overall revenue, with a 10.5% return on equity versus the 9.75% now allowed. Cardinal News reports this would add $9.10, or about 5.4%, to the monthly bill of an average residential customer using 1,000 kWh. The company cites inflation, distribution and generation investment, higher capital costs, tree trimming and storm recovery, and says securitizing plant and storm costs kept the request $8.38 a month lower than it would otherwise be. Commission staff instead recommended a $5.5 million base-rate decrease; the evidentiary hearing starts October 20, 2026, the order is due by January 15, 2027, and new rates could start no earlier than March 1, 2027.
Rate history 2015–2025
| Year | ¢/kWh | Change | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 11.23¢ | — | 448,402 |
| 2016 | 11.35¢ | +1.1% | 449,723 |
| 2017 | 11.44¢ | +0.8% | 451,183 |
| 2018 | 11.18¢ | −2.3% | 452,376 |
| 2019 | 10.97¢ | −1.9% | 453,321 |
| 2020 | 10.81¢ | −1.5% | 456,500 |
| 2021 | 11.15¢ | +3.1% | 460,210 |
| 2022 | 13.03¢ | +16.9% | 460,456 |
| 2023 | 15.88¢ | +21.9% | 462,259 |
| 2024 | 17.02¢ | +7.2% | 465,283 |
| 2025 | 17.16¢ | +0.8% | 467,581 |
How this compares
15.28¢
Virginia average, 2025
+12.3%
Appalachian Power vs VA 2025 average
−0.4%
vs US 2025 average
#2
priciest in VA
Appalachian Power files with the EIA as Appalachian Power Co (utility ID 733).
Serves 31 counties in Virginia: Albemarle, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Giles, Grayson, Henry, Montgomery, Nelson, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Roanoke, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, Wythe. 289 ZIP codes.
What the numbers show
Since 2015, Appalachian Power's average residential rate has gone from 11.23¢ to 17.16¢ per kWh: +52.8% over 10 years, or about +4.3% a year. It rose in 7 of the 10 years we can compare, and the biggest one-year increase was +21.9% in 2023. The largest drop was −2.3% in 2018.
For a home using 1,067 kWh a month, the Virginia average, Appalachian Power's 2025 rate works out to about $2,197 a year, $241 more than at Virginia's average rate of 15.28¢. Of the 19 Virginia utilities in our data with a 2025 price, it is the 2nd most expensive.
Appalachian Power served 448,402 homes in 2015 and 467,581 in 2025 (+4.3%), about 13% of Virginia's residential electricity customers.
Who sets Appalachian Power's rates
Appalachian Power is investor-owned, so it can change its base rates only by filing a rate case with the Virginia State Corporation Commission. The commission holds hearings and takes public comment before it rules, and it usually approves less than the company asks for. Fuel and other pass-through charges can change between rate cases.
Commission contact: Virginia State Corporation Commission. How we calculate every figure on this page: methodology.
Questions
Is Appalachian Power raising rates?
Appalachian Power filed docket PUR-2026-00044 with the Virginia State Corporation Commission in May 2026 asking for a 5.4% increase (change in a typical residential bill), about $61.4M a year. The commission is expected to decide by Jan 2027.
How much more would I pay Appalachian Power each month?
At Virginia's average use of 1,067 kWh, a bill of about $183.10 would become about $192.99 if the full 5.4% is approved. Commissions usually approve less than the request.
What does Appalachian Power charge per kWh?
Appalachian Power's average effective residential rate was 17.16¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA-861, revenue divided by sales, all charges included). Virginia's 2025 average was 15.28¢.
How much have Appalachian Power rates gone up in five years?
+58.7% between 2020 and 2025, against +40.1% for Virginia as a whole over the latest five-year window.
How many customers does Appalachian Power have in Virginia?
467,581 residential customers in 2025, across 31 counties including Albemarle, Amherst, Appomattox, according to the EIA-861 survey.
Where do these numbers come from?
Rates and customer counts are from the US Energy Information Administration's annual EIA-861 survey; rate-case facts are from the Virginia State Corporation Commission docket linked on this page. Nothing here is a utility bill; use it to understand the direction and size of changes.
Sources
Last verified 2026-10-16
- Virginia SCC: Appalachian Power application for a 2026 biennial review, Case No. PUR-2026-00044 (Internet Archive copy of the SCC filing) checked 2026-10-16
- SEC: AEP Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 (2026 Virginia Base Rate Case) checked 2026-10-16
- Cardinal News: Regulators prepare to hear Appalachian Power's case for raising rates checked 2026-10-16
- Cardinal News: Appalachian Power seeks rate increase checked 2026-10-16
- WCYB: Appalachian Power seeks $61.4M more yearly, adding about $9.10 a month to bills checked 2026-10-16
- EIA-861 Sales to Ultimate Customers, 2015–2025 (released 2026-10-07)
- EIA-861M monthly state averages through Jul 2026
- NREL utility-by-ZIP lookup (2024)