Full service
17.08¢
per kWh, 2025 average revenue
$190.43 / month at 1,115 kWh
Price +1.0% from 2024
Investor Owned · 815,235 residential customers · Virginia
Why is my Appalachian Power electric bill so high?
EIA respondent: Appalachian Power Co. Reviewed October 14, 2026. Also searched as American Electric Power.
In 2025, Appalachian Power reported 815,235 residential full service customers under the EIA name Appalachian Power Co. Average revenue was 17.08¢ per kWh. The average monthly bill in that filing was $190.43 for 1,115 kWh.
17.08¢ is above Virginia's 2025 statewide residential average of 15.28¢. In July 2026 the state residential price was 17.55¢, versus 15.78¢ a year earlier (+11.2%). The utility number is a 2025 annual average. The state number is one later month. They answer different questions.
From 2024 to 2025, the average monthly bill for full service changed +5.0%. Average use changed +3.9% and average price changed +1.0%. Holding the 2024 price fixed, the usage change accounts for $7.13 a month. The price change, applied to 2025 usage, accounts for $1.87.
EIA Form 861, 2025 final · Reviewed October 14, 2026
EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A · Reviewed October 14, 2026
The rate on the record
Investor-owned base rates are usually set in a state docket. Riders can change outside a full rate case. Average revenue per kilowatt-hour is total residential revenue divided by residential sales. It is not a tariff schedule.
| Service | Customers | Price | Monthly use | Monthly bill | Vs 2024 price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full service | 815,235 | 17.08¢ | 1,115 kWh | $190.43 | +1.0% |
EIA-861 sales to ultimate customers, 2025 final, compared with 2024 · Reviewed October 14, 2026
By state
| State | Service | Customers | Price | Monthly bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VA | Full service | 467,581 | 17.16¢ | $186.00 |
| WV | Full service | 347,654 | 16.97¢ | $196.40 |
Audit the full service average
Revenue 1,862,980 thousand dollars. Sales 10,908,725 MWh. Customers 815,235. Cents per kWh = revenue ÷ megawatt-hours × 100. Monthly bill = revenue × 1,000 ÷ customers ÷ 12.
Why a Appalachian Power bill moved
Usage, not the rate, was the larger piece
Appalachian Power reported a full service average of $190.43 a month in 2025, +5.0% from $181.38 in 2024. Holding the 2024 price fixed, the usage change of +3.9% is worth $7.13 a month. The price change of +1.0%, from 16.91¢ to 17.08¢, is worth $1.87 on 2025 usage.
Above the Virginia average
17.08¢ per kWh is above Virginia's 2025 residential average of 15.28¢. July 2026 in the state was 17.55¢, versus 15.78¢ a year earlier (+11.2%). The utility figure is a full year of average revenue. The state figure is one later month. A household that uses more than 1,115 kWh will not land on $190.43.
One full-service average
815,235 residential customers were on Appalachian Power full service in 2025, at 17.08¢ per kWh. That average folds in the customer charge and whatever riders the utility booked as residential revenue. It is not the last block on a tiered tariff.
2026 biennial review is filed, not decided
Virginia State Corporation Commission, Case PUR-2026-00044. Appalachian Power filed its biennial review on May 29, 2026. The SCC's order for notice and hearing says the company asks for retail base generation and distribution rates that would raise revenue about $61.4 million, a 3.3 percent increase, made up of a $14.3 million generation decrease and a $75.7 million… The rate-case section has the full citation.
Season
The 2025 monthly average for this Appalachian Power service was 1,115 kWh, and the Virginia residential average was 1,067 kWh. A single month can sit far from either figure. Compare kilowatt-hours with the same month last year before you treat the whole increase as a rate hike.
Time-of-use is already on the EIA schedule
EIA's 2025 dynamic-pricing file shows residential time-of-use activity at Appalachian Power, with 1,949 residential customers enrolled in dynamic pricing. The expensive window is in the tariff, not in that enrollment count. Shifting a dishwasher or an EV charger only helps if you are actually on that schedule.
EIA-861 2025 and 2024 residential sales · Reviewed October 14, 2026
Rate cases and hikes
pending · Case PUR-2026-00044
2026 biennial review is filed, not decided
Appalachian Power filed its biennial review on May 29, 2026. The SCC's order for notice and hearing says the company asks for retail base generation and distribution rates that would raise revenue about $61.4 million, a 3.3 percent increase, made up of a $14.3 million generation decrease and a $75.7 million distribution increase, at a requested prospective return on equity of 10.5 percent. The company proposes to raise the residential basic service charge from $7.96 to $9.00 a month. APCo says a residential customer using 1,000 kWh would pay about $9.10 more. The commission must issue a final order by January 15, 2027, and any revised rates take effect no earlier than March 1, 2027.
These figures are the company's request in the notice order. They are not approved rates.
Virginia SCC order for notice and hearing, PUR-2026-00044 (Virginia State Corporation Commission) · Reviewed October 14, 2026
Assistance
LIHEAP is the federal bill program, and the state contact list is the place to start. A Appalachian Power income discount, medical baseline, or budget-billing rule was not retrieved from Virginia State Corporation Commission. That offer needs verification.
LIHEAP program · State and territory contacts · Appalachian Power site
The company homepage is linked for navigation. Program rules on that site were not reviewed. Needs verification.
LIHEAP · Reviewed October 14, 2026
How to lower the bill
- Read the kilowatt-hours against this filing's average of 1,115 kWh a month. If your use is the thing that moved, the dollar total can rise on an unchanged rate.
- On the statement, separate the base energy charge from fuel or rider lines. A rider can move the total in a month when no new base-rate order exists.
- Match this month's weather to last year's same month. A mild comparison month makes an ordinary bill look like a hike.
- Start with LIHEAP for Virginia (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/map/liheap-map-state-and-territory-contact-listing). A Appalachian Power discount beyond that program needs verification.
- 1,949 residential customers were already on a dynamic price in the 2025 EIA file. If you are one of them, the window on the tariff is the lever. If you are not, calling the utility to discuss the schedule is the first step, not shifting load you are not being charged extra for.
- If the read is marked estimated, the next actual read can true the account up or down. The tariff rule for that true-up needs verification.
Full service at the 2025 average price
| Monthly use | Estimated bill |
|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $85.40 |
| 750 kWh | $128.10 |
| 1,000 kWh | $170.80 |
| 1,500 kWh | $256.20 |
| 2,000 kWh | $341.60 |
Usage times the average price. At very low use, a real bill is often higher because a fixed customer charge does not shrink. The tariff needs verification.
Questions people ask
Why is my Appalachian Power electric bill so high?
In 2025, Appalachian Power reported 815,235 residential full service customers under the EIA name Appalachian Power Co. Average revenue was 17.08¢ per kWh. The average monthly bill in that filing was $190.43 for 1,115 kWh. 17.08¢ is above Virginia's 2025 statewide residential average of 15.28¢. In July 2026 the state residential price was 17.55¢, versus 15.78¢ a year earlier (+11.2%). The utility number is a 2025 annual average. The state number is one later month. They answer different questions. From 2024 to 2025, the average monthly bill for full service changed +5.0%. Average use changed +3.9% and average price changed +1.0%. Holding the 2024 price fixed, the usage change accounts for $7.13 a month. The price change, applied to 2025 usage, accounts for $1.87.
What was Appalachian Power's average residential rate?
Using 2025 EIA-861 revenue and sales, the full service average was 17.08¢ per kWh. Average use was 1,115 kWh a month and the average bill was $190.43. This folds in whatever customer charges and riders the utility reported. It is not the marginal rate on your tariff.
Did Appalachian Power raise rates?
Virginia State Corporation Commission Case PUR-2026-00044 (pending): 2026 biennial review is filed, not decided. Separately, the EIA average price moved +1.0% from 2024 to 2025. The annual average and the docket are not the same document.
What bill assistance can Appalachian Power customers ask about?
LIHEAP is the federal program for home energy bills (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/programs/liheap). Appalachian Power may also offer an income-qualified discount, budget billing, or a medical baseline. The current offer, income cutoff, and how to apply need verification on the utility site and with the state LIHEAP office and Virginia State Corporation Commission.
Are data centers why this bill went up?
Large computing load is raising U.S. electricity demand, and regulators can later recover new generation and wires costs from customers. EIA has not published a dollar line that isolates data centers on this utility's residential bill. That pass-through needs verification.