[ 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
What your bill becomes
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
- 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
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.
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)
