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.
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 a bill looks like at this rate
The figures below apply the May 2026 West Virginia average to four usage levels. They are arithmetic, not quotes. A real bill also carries fixed customer charges, taxes and any rider specific to your utility.
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.
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.
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 a typical monthly electric bill in West Virginia?
At the May 2026 average rate of 16.80¢/kWh, a household using 900 kWh a month would pay about $151, and one using 1,500 kWh about $252. Actual bills vary with usage, rate schedule, fixed customer charges and taxes.
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.
Where does this West Virginia rate figure come from?
It is the residential-sector average revenue per kilowatt-hour reported by utilities to the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Form EIA-861M and published in the Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A. It blends supply and delivery across every residential customer in the state, so it is a statewide average rather than a quote for any individual household.