Appalachian Power and solar
Appalachian Power is an investor-owned utility serving about 815,235 homes in Virginia, West Virginia. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 18.4¢12% above Virginia average
- Typical bill
- $2051,115 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- 14¢Full retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 11.6 yrs10.3 kW, cash
Export rules for Appalachian Power customers
Full retail net metering — about 14¢ per exported kWh, annual netting.
Aug 2025 SCC order kept 12-month netting and retail offset, no standby/grid charges, 6% cap; annual excess rate cut to ~5.7 c/kWh (avoided cost plus REC value).
Solar for a typical Appalachian Power home
| System | 10.3 kW (100% of 1,115 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $28,735 |
| First-year savings | $2,383 |
| Payback | 11.6 years |
| 25-year net | $45,902 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 9,078
- Share of customers
- 1.1%
- Residential solar capacity
- 79 MW
- Residential customers
- 815,235
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Appalachian Power and solar
Does Appalachian Power have net metering?
Aug 2025 SCC order kept 12-month netting and retail offset, no standby/grid charges, 6% cap; annual excess rate cut to ~5.7 c/kWh (avoided cost plus REC value). Exported power is credited at about 14¢ per kWh.
How much does electricity cost with Appalachian Power?
Residential customers paid an average of 17.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 18.4¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,115 kWh a month, a bill of about $205.
Is solar worth it with Appalachian Power?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 10.3 kW system costing about $28,735 pays back in about 11.6 years, with $45,902 net over 25 years.
How many Appalachian Power customers have solar?
About 9,078 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 1.1% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Appalachian Power Co (EIA ID 733). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.