Electricity Rates in Virginia: Cost per kWh and What Appliances Cost
Virginia households pay 17.61 cents per kilowatt-hour on average, which is 4.5 percent below the national figure. That single number decides what every appliance in the house costs to run, so this page works it through for all of them.
The average residential rate in Virginia is 17.61¢ per kWh, ranking 31 of 51 from cheapest to most expensive, in the middle of the national range. Commercial customers pay 10.84¢. The average monthly household bill is $155.
Calculate any appliance at Virginia rates
Change any box. The result updates as you type.
W
hours
USD/kWh
Cost per month
—
—
Per hour
—
Per day
—
Per year
—
kWh per day
—
Planning estimate. The rate box is prefilled with a regional average; the figure on your own bill is the one that matters. Power is draw while running, not while switched on.
How Virginia compares
Residential rate
17.61¢/kWh
US average
18.44¢/kWh
Difference
−4.5%
Rank, cheapest to dearest
31 of 51
Southeast regional average
16.16¢/kWh
Commercial rate
10.84¢/kWh
Average monthly bill
$155
Retail choice
Regulated: your utility sets the rate
You cannot shop for supply in Virginia
Virginia is a regulated market. Your utility is your only option for supply, and the rate is set through a public commission process rather than by competition. Pricing tends to be more stable than in deregulated states, and there is no switching decision to make.
That makes the levers on your side of the meter the only ones available: what you run, for how long, and whether you generate any of it yourself.
What every appliance costs to run in Virginia
All figures below are computed at the Virginia rate of 17.61 cents. The last column shows the annual difference against the same appliance at the national average, which is where the effect of living here actually shows up.
At 17.61 cents, Virginia sits close enough to the national average that solar payback here tends to track the national picture. The variables that decide it are local: net metering terms, state incentives, roof orientation and shading.
Typical peak sun hours across the Southeast region run around 4.5 to 5 hours a day as an annual average, though the spread within a region can be wide. For a figure based on your actual location rather than a regional band, use the location-based solar production calculator, and the solar payback calculator for the financial side.
Questions people actually ask
What is the average electricity rate in Virginia?
17.61 cents per kilowatt-hour for residential customers, which is 4.5 percent below the US average of 18.44 cents.
What is the average electric bill in Virginia?
About $155 a month. That reflects both the rate and how much electricity households here typically use, which is driven mostly by climate and heating fuel.
Can I choose my electricity provider in Virginia?
No. Virginia is a regulated market, so your utility is the only supplier available and the rate is set through the state commission.
Why is my electricity bill higher than the Virginia average?
The state average blends every household, including small apartments. Electric heating, electric water heating, a pool pump, an older refrigerator or an EV will each push a bill well above it. The appliance table above shows what each of those costs at the Virginia rate.
Costs on this page use a national average residential rate of 18.44¢ per kWh (August 2026, EIA-derived state residential averages). Your own rate is printed on your electricity bill and is the number that actually matters. Every figure here is recalculated from one central rate setting, so these tables move when the national average moves.
