Skip to content
TypicalCost

Typical Cost of Electricity in Virginia

On this page

About 17.55¢ per kWh in July 2026, the latest month published. That is 4.2% below the U.S. average of 18.31¢. This is the average for homes across Virginia.

Latest rate

17.55¢

per kWh, July 2026

Against the U.S. average

−0.76¢

−4.2%U.S. 18.31¢

From a year earlier

+1.77¢

+11.2%15.78¢ in Jul 2025

Rank among states

32nd lowest

of 51, counting the District of Columbia

Where Virginia sits among the states

Each tick is one state's rate for July 2026. The highlighted band holds the middle half of them, and the dark line is the median.

Across 51 states the rate ranged from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ per kWh in July 2026. The typical band runs from 14.85¢ to 22.38¢, with a median of 16.09¢. Virginia is at 17.55¢.

What an appliance costs to run in Virginia

The calculator starts from Virginia's average rate. Change the power and hours to match your appliance, or enter the rate from your own bill.

Work it out with your numbers

Per hour
$0.26
Per day8 h
$2.11
Per month
$64.06
Per year
$769
1,500 W ÷ 1,000 × 8 h × 17.55¢ = $2.11 a dayA month is one twelfth of a year.17.55¢ is the Virginia average for July 2026. The 1,500 W and 8 hours are only a starting example.

How the rate has moved

Monthly averages from January 2024 to July 2026. The lowest was 13.33¢ in January 2024 and the highest 17.61¢ in May 2026.

Monthly average residential electricity rate in Virginia from January 2024 to July 2026, ranging from 13.33¢ to 17.61¢ per kWh. The latest is 17.55¢.

Month by month

MonthRate per kWhFrom the month before
July 202617.55¢+1.9%
June 202617.22¢−2.2%
May 202617.61¢+1.3%
April 202617.38¢+1.9%
March 202617.05¢+6.8%
February 202615.96¢+0.6%
January 202615.87¢+3.9%
December 202515.27¢−4.2%
November 202515.94¢−2.6%
October 202516.36¢−1.6%
September 202516.62¢+5.0%
August 202515.83¢+0.3%

What this figure is

This is what residential customers in Virginia paid on average for each kilowatt-hour: the total billed to homes divided by the electricity they used. It blends every utility and rate plan in the state, so the rate on your own bill can be higher or lower.

Rates often change with the season, which is why the comparison above uses the same month a year earlier. The figure is published about two months after the month it describes.

Common questions

How much does electricity cost per kWh in Virginia?

Homes in Virginia paid about 17.55¢ per kilowatt-hour on average in July 2026, the latest month published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

How much does 1,000 kWh of electricity cost in Virginia?

At the average residential rate of 17.55¢ per kWh, 1,000 kWh works out to about $176. An actual bill depends on your utility, your plan and how much you use.

Is electricity cheap or expensive in Virginia?

Virginia has the 32nd lowest residential electricity rate out of 51, counting the District of Columbia. That is −4.2% against the U.S. average of 18.31¢.

Are electricity rates going up in Virginia?

Up over the past year. The average residential rate was 15.78¢ in July 2025 and 17.55¢ in July 2026, a change of +11.2%.

Source

U.S. Energy Information Administration

Average retail price of electricity, residential. Covers January 2024 to July 2026. Retrieved on October 6, 2026.

EIA electricity data

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (July 2026 data).

Electricity rates in other states

The percentage compares each state with the U.S. average.