Electricity Price History in Virginia
Virginia residential electricity averaged 17.61¢/kWh in May 2026. Below is the year-by-year record — the average rate for each year and how much it changed from the year before — followed by what the series does and does not show about Virginia prices. Data comes from EIA residential retail sales.
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Price Trend
Virginia electricity rates by year
| Year | Average rate | Change (¢/kWh) | Change (%) | Compared with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–May) | 16.77 ¢/kWh | +2.06 | +14.0% | Jan–May 2025 (14.72¢) |
| 2025 | 15.39 ¢/kWh | +0.90 | +6.2% | 2024 (14.49¢) |
| 2024 | 14.49 ¢/kWh | +0.16 | +1.1% | 2023 (14.32¢) |
| 2023 | 14.32 ¢/kWh | +0.94 | +7.1% | 2022 (13.38¢) |
| 2022 | 13.38 ¢/kWh | +1.36 | +11.3% | 2021 (12.02¢) |
| 2021 | 12.02 ¢/kWh | −0.05 | −0.4% | 2020 (12.07¢) |
| 2020 | 12.07 ¢/kWh | −0.03 | −0.3% | 2019 (12.10¢) |
| 2019 | 12.10 ¢/kWh | +0.33 | +2.8% | 2018 (11.77¢) |
| 2018 | 11.77 ¢/kWh | +0.19 | +1.6% | 2017 (11.58¢) |
| 2017 | 11.58 ¢/kWh | +0.18 | +1.6% | 2016 (11.40¢) |
| 2016 | 11.40 ¢/kWh | 0.00 | 0.0% | 2015 (11.40¢) |
Yearly figures are the average of the monthly EIA residential rates for that year. A year that is incomplete is labelled with the months it covers, and its change is measured against the same months of the previous year — residential rates are seasonal, so comparing a part-year against a full year would measure the season rather than the trend. Every row carries its own change, including the oldest one shown: its comparison year is the year immediately before the table starts. Where a comparison period is missing entirely, the change columns are left blank rather than filled with a zero.
Why did electricity prices rise in Virginia?
What the EIA series shows
- Past 12 months (May 2025 → May 2026)
- The Virginia residential rate rose 15.4% (+2.35¢/kWh), from 15.26¢ in May 2025 to 17.61¢ in May 2026.
- Past 5 years (May 2021 → May 2026)
- The rate rose 46.0% (+5.55¢/kWh), from 12.06¢ in May 2021 to 17.61¢ in May 2026.
- Past 10 years (May 2016 → May 2026)
- The rate rose 47.2% (+5.65¢/kWh), from 11.96¢ in May 2016 to 17.61¢ in May 2026.
- Highest and lowest month on record
- In this series the Virginia rate peaked at 17.61¢/kWh in May 2026 and bottomed at 6.84¢/kWh in January 2001. The series covers January 2001 to May 2026.
- Steepest 12-month increase
- The largest single-year move in the series ended in January 2009: the rate rose 22.0% (+1.80¢/kWh), from 8.19¢ in January 2008 to 9.99¢ in January 2009. That is when the change happened; the series does not say what caused it.
- Against the rest of the country
- Over the same window the unweighted average across the 51 jurisdictions with data for this period rose 34.4%, so Virginia's +46.0% outpaced the nationwide move by 11.6 percentage points. That gap is the part of the movement this dataset cannot attribute to a nationwide trend — it does not identify what else was involved.
- Rank among jurisdictions (May 2021 → May 2026)
- Measured over that identical five-year window, Virginia's change is the 11th largest of the 51 jurisdictions whose series covers it — rank 1 is the biggest increase, rank 51 the biggest decrease. The rank places the movement; it does not explain it.
What can move rates in Virginia — context, not proof
A rate series shows what changed, not why. The factors below are reviewed context for Virginia maintained separately from the price data — they are not causes measured from the movement above, and no share of the change is attributed to any of them.
- Utility rate case activity (Regulatory Rate Cases) — Virginia utilities periodically file rate cases with the State Corporation Commission. Approved adjustments can reflect infrastructure investment, fuel costs, and changing load profiles. Confidence: medium; reviewed 2026-02-22.
- Data center cluster and potential demand growth (Data Centers & AI) — Virginia hosts a significant concentration of data centers, particularly in Northern Virginia. This level of commercial load may be associated with increased electricity demand in the region, though the extent to which it affects residential rates depends on regulatory and market structure. No specific quantitative claims are made. Confidence: low; reviewed 2026-02-22.
- Large-load interconnection requests (Demand Growth) — Grid operators in Virginia may be evaluating interconnection requests from large commercial customers. Sustained demand growth can influence transmission planning and long-term rate trajectories. Confidence: low; reviewed 2026-02-22.
Virginia electricity price drivers · How generation and fuel costs feed into retail rates · How these figures are calculated
More Data & Comparisons
- Electricity inflation in Virginia — Price growth, trends, rankings
- Electricity cost in Virginia — Rates, value score, affordability
- Average electricity bill in Virginia — Monthly and annual bill estimates
- Virginia electricity rates — Statewide overview and how Virginia ranks
- Electricity cost calculator for Virginia — Usage-based estimates
- Full Virginia knowledge page — Rates, value score, affordability, trends
- All states price history
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much have electricity prices changed in Virginia?
- Electricity prices in Virginia have increased 46.0% over the past 5 years. The 1-year increase is 15.4%. The annualized 5-year increase is approximately 7.9% per year.
- What drove the change in Virginia electricity prices?
- Measured from EIA residential data, the Virginia rate rose 46.0% (+5.55¢/kWh), from 12.06¢ in May 2021 to 17.61¢ in May 2026. The series itself does not identify a cause. Reviewed context for Virginia points to utility rate case activity, data center cluster and potential demand growth, large-load interconnection requests — documented factors, not measured contributions to the change above.
- When were Virginia electricity rates highest and lowest?
- In EIA residential data covering January 2001 to May 2026, the Virginia rate was highest at 17.61¢/kWh in May 2026 and lowest at 6.84¢/kWh in January 2001. The most recent reading is 17.61¢/kWh in May 2026.