Bristol Virginia Utilities and solar
Bristol Virginia Utilities is a municipal utility serving about 13,648 homes in Virginia. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is a close call.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 12.5¢24% below Virginia average
- Typical bill
- $1551,239 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- RetailFull retail net metering
- Typical payback
- 15.8 yrs9.7 kW, cash
Export rules for Bristol Virginia Utilities customers
Full retail net metering (Virginia rule).
Virginia keeps 1:1 net metering with annual netting for Dominion and Appalachian Power. Solar offsets your usage at retail and credits roll over for 12 months; only surplus left at year end is paid at a low rate (Dominion ~5.8 c/kWh under the 2026 'NEM 2.0').
Solar for a typical Bristol Virginia Utilities home
| System | 9.7 kW (90% of 1,239 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $27,265 |
| First-year savings | $1,677 |
| Payback | 15.8 years |
| 25-year net | $21,620 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- —
- Share of customers
- —
- Residential solar capacity
- —
- Residential customers
- 13,648
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Bristol Virginia Utilities and solar
Does Bristol Virginia Utilities have net metering?
Bristol Virginia Utilities follows Virginia's rules: Virginia keeps 1:1 net metering with annual netting for Dominion and Appalachian Power. Solar offsets your usage at retail and credits roll over for 12 months; only surplus left at year end is paid at a low rate (Dominion ~5.8 c/kWh under the 2026 'NEM 2.0').
How much does electricity cost with Bristol Virginia Utilities?
Residential customers paid an average of 11.6¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 12.5¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 1,239 kWh a month, a bill of about $155.
Is solar worth it with Bristol Virginia Utilities?
For a typical customer, solar is a close call: a 9.7 kW system costing about $27,265 pays back in about 15.8 years, with $21,620 net over 25 years.
How many Bristol Virginia Utilities customers have solar?
Bristol Virginia Utilities did not report residential net-metered solar to EIA for 2025.
Legal name: Bristol Virginia Utilities (EIA ID 2248). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.