Rate increases · Appalachian Power (APCo)
Why is my Appalachian Power (APCo) bill going down in 2025–26?
Good news, and it's worth knowing why: your Appalachian Power (APCo) rate actually went down. The counter-example worth knowing: Appalachian Power Virginia's fuel factor went DOWN about 24% (roughly $10/month less) — lower fuel costs and more renewables, not the PJM capacity story. Not every utility is going up.
The key facts
- Appalachian Power (APCo)'s fuel factor fell — about 24% lower, effective November 1, 2025.
- For a typical 700 kWh home, that's roughly $10.06 less a month (estimate — your bill depends on your usage).
- American Electric Power reported about $3.0 billion in 2024 profit — but not from this supply charge (it's a pass-through). See the Appalachian Power (APCo) Report Card →
Source: Virginia SCC — Appalachian Power. Rates reset on a schedule — confirm the current figure before relying on it.
What's actually driving it
The counter-example worth knowing: Appalachian Power Virginia's fuel factor went DOWN about 24% (roughly $10/month less) — lower fuel costs and more renewables, not the PJM capacity story. Not every utility is going up. Virginia has no retail supplier choice. This decrease is a fuel-factor reset and could reverse at the next review.
Is Appalachian Power (APCo) pocketing this?
This lands on the supply (generation) part of your bill, which on a default/standard rate is a pass-through — your utility buys the power and bills it through with no markup. The utility's own profit lives in the separate delivery (distribution) charge, set in a rate case.
What you can actually do
- Check usage vs. rate. A higher rate and a hot month stack up. Pull your kWh from last month and compare it to the same month last year — it tells you how much is the rate and how much is the weather.
- Engage the rate-case process. Virginia has no retail supplier to switch to, so the rate itself is set at the state commission. Public comment and the state's consumer advocate are where ratepayer pushback actually lands.
- If the bill is more than you can cover, there's real help — assistance programs, payment plans, and your shutoff protections. Bill help in Virginia →
The fuller picture on Appalachian Power (APCo)
A rate increase is one number. Here's the context most coverage skips: in 2024, Appalachian Power (APCo) disconnected about 9.5 households per 100 customers for nonpayment. Its parent, American Electric Power, cleared about $3.0 billion in 2024.
See the full Appalachian Power (APCo) Report Card → Compare every utility on rates, reliability, disconnections and profit →Common questions
- How much is the Appalachian Power (APCo) rate decrease?
- Appalachian Power (APCo)'s fuel factor fell about 24% effective November 1, 2025. That's roughly $10.06 less a month for a typical 700 kWh home.
- Why is my Appalachian Power (APCo) bill going down?
- The counter-example worth knowing: Appalachian Power Virginia's fuel factor went DOWN about 24% (roughly $10/month less) — lower fuel costs and more renewables, not the PJM capacity story. Not every utility is going up.
- Is Appalachian Power (APCo) making more profit from this?
- Not from the supply increase itself — that's a pass-through with no markup. American Electric Power (the parent company) reported about $3.0 billion in profit in 2024, but that comes from the delivery/distribution side and its other businesses, not from marking up the power you buy. This lands on the supply (generation) part of your bill, which on a default/standard rate is a pass-through — your utility buys the power and bills it through with no markup. The utility's own profit lives in the separate delivery (distribution) charge, set in a rate case.
- Can I switch suppliers to avoid the Appalachian Power (APCo) increase?
- No — Virginia doesn't have retail electricity choice, so there's no supplier to switch to. The real levers are cutting usage and engaging in the rate-case process at the state commission.
Last reviewed June 18, 2026. Default-supply rates reset on a schedule and rate cases move — confirm the current figure with Virginia SCC — Appalachian Power or your bill before relying on it. Virginia has no retail supplier choice. This decrease is a fuel-factor reset and could reverse at the next review. This is general consumer information, not legal or financial advice.
RateWatchdog is independent. We take no supplier commissions and never enroll or switch anyone. See every utility's rate change →