West Virginia electricity rates
As of May 2026, the average residential electricity rate in West Virginia is 16.80 cents per kilowatt-hour, 8.9% below the U.S. average of 18.44¢. That is the 23rd highest rate of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Year over year
- ▲ +3.8% from 16.18¢ in May 2025
- Vs. U.S. average
- -8.9% U.S. average 18.44¢
- National rank
- #23 of 51 · #29 cheapest
- Supply market
- PJM Regulated monopoly
Why West Virginia pays what it pays
West Virginia once had among the cheapest electricity in the country, generated from coal mined within the state. The advantage has eroded. The remaining coal fleet is old and requires continual environmental and maintenance capital, some units have been kept running on regulatory rather than economic grounds, and the fuel itself is no longer cheap relative to gas.
The state has also lost population and industrial load. When a utility's fixed costs stay constant while the customer base shrinks, the per-customer share rises. It is a slow, structural pressure that no single rate case explains.
West Virginia sits in PJM, so it also absorbed a share of the regional capacity increase, though less dramatically than the import-dependent states to its east.
Where West Virginia power comes from
West Virginia generated 54 TWh in 2025, the 31th largest output of any state. Coal supplied 86.9% of it, enough that the price of that fuel largely sets the price of electricity here. Renewables accounted for 6.6%, against 23.8% nationally, which ranks West Virginia #45 of 51.
- Coal 86.9% 47 TWh
- Natural gas 6.2% 3 TWh
- Wind 3.7% 2 TWh
- Hydroelectric 2.4% 1 TWh
- Solar 0.5% 264 GWh
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Operational Data, net generation, all sectors. Net generation across all sectors. Nuclear counts as carbon-free but not renewable, so the two shares differ.
How West Virginia compares
West Virginia ranks #23 of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, making it the 29th cheapest. Within the South Atlantic division, 4 of 8 neighbouring states are cheaper.
| State | ¢/kWh | YoY | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 15.09 | +5.4% | #35 |
| Florida | 15.17 | +1.3% | #33 |
| Georgia | 15.84 | +5.7% | #30 |
| South Carolina | 16.18 | +5.0% | #27 |
| West Virginia | 16.80 | +3.8% | #23 |
| Virginia | 17.61 | +15.4% | #21 |
| Delaware | 19.38 | +6.9% | #19 |
| Maryland | 21.77 | +14.6% | #15 |
| District of Columbia | 25.40 | +24.3% | #10 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State. Data period May 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
What West Virginia households actually pay
West Virginia looks cheaper on paper than it is in practice. It has the 29th cheapest rate in the country but only the 12th highest bill from the bottom, because households there use 1,064 kWh a month against a national average of 871. See how every state compares on bills.
Estimate your West Virginia bill
Multiply your own usage by the May 2026 state average. Enter the kilowatt-hours from your last statement. This is a supply-and-delivery blended average, not a utility quote.
Rate used: …. U.S. average 18.44¢/kWh, May 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
Heating in West Virginia: gas, heat pump or resistance
Residential natural gas in West Virginia averaged $15.26 per thousand cubic feet in 2024, about $1.47 per therm, against a national average of $14.50. Put on the same scale as the state's electricity rate, the cost of delivering one million BTU of heat works out as follows.
In West Virginia, a heat pump and a gas furnace cost close enough to the same to run that fuel cost does not decide it. Cooling needs, equipment age and available incentives will.
Gas price: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Prices, price delivered to residential consumers, 2024. Assumptions are adjustable in the heating cost guide, and every state is compared on the gas price page.
What each West Virginia utility charges
The statewide average hides a wide spread. Across the 5 West Virginia utilities reporting to the EIA, rates run from 12.59¢ at The Potomac Edison Company to 17.41¢ at Wheeling Power Co . Together they serve 856,671 residential customers.
| Utility | ¢/kWh | Bill | kWh | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Power Co | 16.77 | $185 | 1,106 | 348,946 |
| Monongahela Power Co | 13.97 | $125 | 892 | 334,588 |
| The Potomac Edison Company | 12.59 | $153 | 1,213 | 135,266 |
| Wheeling Power Co | 17.41 | $157 | 902 | 34,392 |
| Black Diamond Power Co | 15.35 | $119 | 777 | 3,479 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024.
Who sells electricity in West Virginia
Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power, both AEP companies, serve the south and west. Mon Power, a FirstEnergy company, serves the north. Utilities remain vertically integrated, since West Virginia never restructured.
There is no residential retail choice. The Public Service Commission of West Virginia sets rates, and its decisions on whether to keep ageing coal units in service have been among the more consequential rate matters in the state.
West Virginia sits in The PJM region. The wholesale market whose capacity auction repriced and pushed residential rates up across nine jurisdictions in a single year. Read the regional analysis.
What you can actually do about it
West Virginia's rate is close to the national average now, which changes the arithmetic on electric heating. Households on electric resistance heat, which is common in the state, should look hard at heat pumps. They cut the same load by roughly half to two-thirds.
Fuel cost recovery in West Virginia is handled through a periodic true-up rather than a monthly adjustment, so increases arrive as visible steps and are announced in advance through commission filings.
Closest states by price
These jurisdictions charge within a fraction of a cent of West Virginia, which is useful if you are comparing a move or a multi-state operating cost.
West Virginia electricity rates: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in West Virginia?
The average residential electricity rate in West Virginia is 16.80 cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is -8.9% relative to the national average of 18.44¢/kWh.
How much is the average monthly electric bill in West Virginia?
The average West Virginia household paid $165 a month across the twelve months to May 2026, using an average of 1,064 kWh. That is +6.0% against the U.S. average bill of $155, and it ranks 12th highest of the 51 jurisdictions. Your own bill depends on the size of your home, your heating and cooling equipment and your rate schedule.
Why is the West Virginia bill ranking different from its rate ranking?
A bill is the rate multiplied by usage, and usage varies between states more than price does. West Virginia ranks #23 of 51 on price but 12th on the actual bill, because households there use about 1,064 kWh a month against a national average of 871. Climate and heating fuel drive most of that difference.
Have electricity rates in West Virginia gone up?
West Virginia rates rose 3.8% over the year to May 2026, from 16.18¢ in May 2025 to 16.80¢.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in West Virginia?
Regulated monopoly. West Virginia households buy both supply and delivery from their local regulated utility or co-operative; there is no competitive residential supplier market.