Appalachian Power
Western and southwestern Virginia, including Roanoke, Lynchburg, Blacksburg and Bristol. An American Electric Power utility. Residential customers here have not faced the net metering standby charge since a prohibition took effect on 1 July 2020.
- Type
- Investor owned
- Accounts
- 540K
What they credit you
Net metering, and no residential standby charge
Set by state ruleThe same statutory net metering applies, and the residential standby charge that Dominion customers face above 20 kW has been prohibited for Appalachian Power residential customers since 1 July 2020.
- Month to month
- Excess carries and is then purchased under the Commission-approved net metering contract or tariff.
Set by undefined · checked 2026-09-05 · source
What your installer should be telling you
Confirm the current net metering standard contract and how much of the 6% aggregate cap is already taken before you commit.
Appalachian Power is investor owned, so Code of Virginia § 56-594 (and § 56-594.01 for cooperatives) applies and these terms are set by the state rather than by a board that can revise them. That is the strongest position a homeowner can be in on net metering.
Applying to Appalachian Power
What Appalachian Power itself requires, as distinct from what the state rule requires. Read from its own published guidelines on the date shown.
- The statute you are reading may not be the one you apply under
- The version of § 56-594 published by the Virginia law site carries the note "Effective January 1, 2027", following amendment by HB 1255. Confirm with your utility which version governs an application filed today.
- Residential systems are capped at 25 kW
- The section limits an eligible residential facility to "not more than 25 kilowatts for residential customers". That is generous by national standards.
- But the standby charge starts at 20 kW, not 25
- A facility "with an aggregate nameplate capacity that exceeds 20 kilowatts of alternating current shall pay to its supplier ... a monthly standby charge", in Phase II Utility territory. In practice that makes 20 kW the number to design against.
- The programme has a ceiling, and part of it is reserved
- The aggregate cap is "six percent, in the aggregate, five percent of which is available to all customers and one percent of which is available only to low-income utility customers". If you qualify as low income, you are competing for a separate and less crowded allocation.
- Cooperatives are a different statute with a different cap
- Electric cooperative territories run under § 56-594.01, with an aggregate cap of 7% rather than 6%. If your provider is a co-op, the section above is not the one that governs you.
- What excess is worth is set by tariff, not by the statute
- The supplier purchases excess electricity "at the rate that is provided for such purchases in a net metering standard contract or tariff approved by the Commission". Ask for that contract by name.
From Appalachian Power’s published guidelines · checked 2026-09-05 · source
Appalachian Power net metering questions
- Does Appalachian Power offer one for one net metering?
- Yes. The same statutory net metering applies, and the residential standby charge that Dominion customers face above 20 kW has been prohibited for Appalachian Power residential customers since 1 July 2020. Excess carries and is then purchased under the Commission-approved net metering contract or tariff.
- What does Appalachian Power pay for power sent back to the grid?
- Net metering, and no residential standby charge.
- Do I need a battery with Appalachian Power?
- Not for the economics. Appalachian Power credits exports at the retail rate, so power you send out during the day comes back at the same value after dark without storage. A battery is still worth considering for outages during hurricane season, but it is an upgrade here rather than a requirement.
- How do I find my Appalachian Power bill?
- Sign in at appalachianpower.com. Open My Account, then Billing. Open the latest bill and save the PDF. Or screenshot the summary page. If you cannot get to it, a rough guess at your average monthly amount is enough to start.
- What is the catch with Appalachian Power?
- Confirm the current net metering standard contract and how much of the 6% aggregate cap is already taken before you commit.
Installers serving Appalachian Power customers
Pick one. Only the company you choose receives your details, and only that company calls you.
These are real companies operating in Appalachian Power territory, ordered by reviews, years trading and BBB grade. None of them pays us for placement. Pick the one you want and we will call you to arrange it.
Ordering combines three things we read from primary sources: Google review count and rating, years trading taken from the company’s Better Business Bureau profile rather than its own marketing, and its BBB letter grade. BBB accreditation is shown but never scored, because it is a paid membership rather than a mark of quality.
Check any contractor license yourself at the state register. Do that before you sign anything, with any company, including ours.