Electricity Costs in Virginia
Virginia residents pay an average of 17.6¢ per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026 — the 31st cheapest of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions we track, 4% below the national average. For a typical home using 885 kWh a month, that's a bill of about $156.
Average rate
17.6¢
per kWh, residential
U.S. rank
31st
cheapest of 51
vs. U.S. average
-4%
national: 18.4¢/kWh
Change vs. last year
+23.1%
was 14.3¢/kWh
The most expensive things to run in Virginia
Monthly cost at typical usage and Virginia's current rate.
Running costs for every appliance
| Appliance | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Furnace | $10.56 | $321 | $3,854 |
| Central Air Conditioner | $4.93 | $150 | $1,799 |
| Heat Pump | $4.22 | $128 | $1,542 |
| Pool Heater (Heat Pump) | $3.52 | $107 | $1,285 |
| Garage Heater | $2.64 | $80.26 | $964 |
| Electric Water Heater | $2.30 | $69.82 | $838 |
| Tankless Electric Water Heater | $2.22 | $67.42 | $809 |
| Space Heater | $2.11 | $64.20 | $771 |
| Baseboard Heater | $2.11 | $64.20 | $771 |
| Oil-Filled Radiator Heater | $2.11 | $64.20 | $771 |
| Pool Pump | $2.11 | $64.20 | $771 |
| EV Charging (Level 2, Home) | $1.76 | $53.50 | $642 |
| Infrared Heater | $1.69 | $51.36 | $617 |
| Portable Air Conditioner | $1.41 | $42.80 | $514 |
| Window Air Conditioner | $1.27 | $38.52 | $463 |
| Oxygen Concentrator | $1.27 | $38.52 | $463 |
| Electric Fireplace | $1.23 | $37.45 | $450 |
| Ductless Mini-Split | $1.13 | $34.24 | $411 |
| Electric Wall Heater | $1.06 | $32.10 | $385 |
| Dehumidifier | $0.88 | $26.75 | $321 |
| Hot Tub | $0.87 | $26.48 | $318 |
| Grow Light | $0.74 | $22.47 | $270 |
| Furnace Blower Fan (Gas Furnace) | $0.70 | $21.40 | $257 |
| Food Dehydrator | $0.70 | $21.40 | $257 |
| Refrigerator | $0.63 | $19.26 | $231 |
| Evaporative (Swamp) Cooler | $0.56 | $17.12 | $206 |
| Pellet Stove | $0.53 | $16.05 | $193 |
| Heat Pump Water Heater | $0.53 | $16.05 | $193 |
| Upright Freezer | $0.51 | $15.41 | $185 |
| Electric Oven | $0.42 | $12.84 | $154 |
| Aquarium | $0.42 | $12.84 | $154 |
| Home Server / Homelab | $0.42 | $12.84 | $154 |
| Chest Freezer | $0.38 | $11.56 | $139 |
| Electric Dryer | $0.38 | $11.47 | $138 |
| Well Pump | $0.35 | $10.70 | $128 |
| Gaming PC | $0.33 | $9.95 | $119 |
| Home Sauna | $0.30 | $9.17 | $110 |
| Electric Stove Burner | $0.26 | $8.03 | $96.36 |
| Mini Fridge | $0.25 | $7.70 | $92.51 |
| Starlink Dish | $0.25 | $7.70 | $92.51 |
| Induction Cooktop | $0.25 | $7.49 | $89.94 |
| Desktop Computer | $0.22 | $6.61 | $79.40 |
| Electric Blanket | $0.21 | $6.42 | $77.09 |
| Reptile Heat Lamp / Terrarium | $0.21 | $6.42 | $77.09 |
| Air Purifier | $0.17 | $5.14 | $61.67 |
| Heat Pump Dryer | $0.16 | $4.97 | $59.65 |
| Dishwasher | $0.15 | $4.59 | $55.06 |
| 75-Inch TV | $0.13 | $4.06 | $48.79 |
| Air Fryer | $0.13 | $4.01 | $48.18 |
| OLED TV | $0.11 | $3.26 | $39.15 |
| Box Fan | $0.11 | $3.21 | $38.54 |
| Toaster Oven | $0.11 | $3.21 | $38.54 |
| Game Console (PS5 / Xbox Series X) | $0.10 | $3.06 | $36.71 |
| 65-Inch TV | $0.10 | $2.99 | $35.94 |
| Ceiling Fan | 8.4¢ | $2.57 | $30.84 |
| Tower Fan | 8.4¢ | $2.57 | $30.84 |
| Cable / Satellite Box | 8.4¢ | $2.57 | $30.84 |
| Slow Cooker | 7.5¢ | $2.29 | $27.53 |
| 55-Inch TV | 7.2¢ | $2.19 | $26.31 |
| Humidifier | 7.0¢ | $2.14 | $25.70 |
| Electric Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) | 7.0¢ | $2.14 | $25.70 |
| Laptop | 6.3¢ | $1.93 | $23.13 |
| CPAP Machine | 5.6¢ | $1.71 | $20.56 |
| Incandescent Bulb | 5.3¢ | $1.61 | $19.27 |
| Christmas Lights | 5.3¢ | $1.61 | $19.27 |
| Wi-Fi Router | 5.1¢ | $1.54 | $18.50 |
| Washing Machine | 5.0¢ | $1.53 | $18.35 |
| E-Bike Charging | 5.0¢ | $1.53 | $18.35 |
| Treadmill | 5.0¢ | $1.53 | $18.35 |
| Microwave | 4.8¢ | $1.47 | $17.67 |
| 3D Printer | 4.5¢ | $1.38 | $16.52 |
| Computer Monitor | 4.4¢ | $1.33 | $15.93 |
| Electric Lawn Mower | 3.8¢ | $1.15 | $13.77 |
| Hair Dryer | 3.5¢ | $1.07 | $12.85 |
| Electric Kettle | 2.8¢ | $0.84 | $10.09 |
| Coffee Maker | 2.1¢ | $0.64 | $7.71 |
| Security Camera (Wired) | 2.1¢ | $0.64 | $7.71 |
| Vacuum Cleaner | 2.0¢ | $0.61 | $7.34 |
| Robot Vacuum | 1.1¢ | $0.32 | $3.85 |
| LED Light Bulb | 0.8¢ | $0.24 | $2.89 |
| Phone Charger | 0.3¢ | $0.10 | $1.16 |
Rates across the South
| State | Rate (¢/kWh) | Typical monthly bill |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 13.4 | $119 |
| Louisiana | 14.2 | $126 |
| Arkansas | 14.4 | $127 |
| Tennessee | 14.5 | $128 |
| Kentucky | 15.0 | $133 |
| North Carolina | 15.1 | $134 |
| Florida | 15.2 | $135 |
| Georgia | 15.8 | $140 |
| Mississippi | 16.2 | $143 |
| South Carolina | 16.2 | $143 |
| Texas | 16.4 | $145 |
| Alabama | 16.8 | $149 |
| West Virginia | 16.8 | $149 |
| Virginia | 17.6 | $156 |
| Delaware | 19.4 | $172 |
| Maryland | 21.8 | $193 |
| Washington, D.C. | 25.4 | $225 |
| South average | 16.7 | $148 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does electricity cost in Virginia?
The average residential electricity rate in Virginia is 17.6¢ per kWh as of May 2026. For a typical home using 885 kWh per month, that's an electric bill of about $156.
Is electricity expensive in Virginia?
Virginia sits close to the national average of 18.4¢/kWh, ranking 31st cheapest of 51 jurisdictions.
Are electricity rates in Virginia going up?
Yes — the average rate is up about 23% versus a year ago (14.3¢ → 17.6¢ per kWh). Rising rates make high-consumption appliances like electric heat, dryers, and pool pumps more expensive to ignore.
What uses the most electricity in a home?
Heating and cooling typically lead, followed by water heating, then the clothes dryer, refrigeration, and always-on electronics. Our bill analyzer breaks this down for your own set of appliances at your state’s rate.
Wondering why your bill jumped? Read Why Is My Electric Bill So High? or estimate your whole home with the bill analyzer.