# Old Dominion Power Rate Increase Request: Bills Would Rise About 23%, or $36.66 a Month at 1,000 kWh

> Old Dominion Power, which serves about 28,000 customers in five Southwest Virginia counties, has asked the State Corporation Commission for about $19 million more a year. A home using 1,000 kWh a month would pay $36.66 more, about 23%. SCC staff recommends about $11.9 million instead. Nothing is approved; a hearing starts November 12, 2026.

- URL: https://solarexaminer.com/posts/old-dominion-power-rate-increase-2026/
- Site: Solar Examiner (https://solarexaminer.com/)
- Category: News
- Published: 2026-10-19
- Last verified: 2026-10-19
- Author: John Marshall

## Key takeaways

- Old Dominion Power (Kentucky Utilities' Virginia business) has asked the State Corporation Commission for about $19 million more in annual base revenue, a 22.4% increase, in Case No. PUR-2026-00051. This is a request, not an approved rate.
- For a residential customer using 1,000 kWh a month, the requested rates would raise the monthly bill by $36.66, from $156.46 to $193.12, according to Cardinal News' reporting of the filing.
- The request would raise the fixed monthly customer charge from $12 to $15. SCC staff recommends keeping it at $12 and a smaller increase of about $11.9 million, or $23.07 a month at 1,000 kWh.
- The public hearing begins at 10 a.m. on November 12, 2026. The deadline to sign up to speak or to file written comments is November 5, 2026.



Old Dominion Power has asked Virginia regulators for a base rate increase that would raise a typical residential bill by about 23%. For a home using 1,000 kWh a month, the requested rates add $36.66, taking the bill from $156.46 to $193.12. This is a request. The State Corporation Commission (SCC) has not ruled, its staff has recommended a smaller increase, and a public hearing begins November 12, 2026.

Old Dominion Power is the Virginia name of Kentucky Utilities Company. It serves about 28,000 customers in Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott and Wise counties. It is a different company from Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power, whose rates we track on our [Virginia electricity rates and solar page](/posts/virginia-electricity-rate-changes-2026/).

## The Request at a Glance

| Item | Company request | SCC staff recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Case | PUR-2026-00051 (base rates) | Same case |
| Added annual revenue | About $19 million (22.4%) | About $11.9 million |
| Return on equity | 10.95% (now 9.95%) | 9.8% |
| Residential customer charge | $12 → $15 a month | Stay at $12 |
| Bill at 1,000 kWh a month | $156.46 → $193.12 (+$36.66) | +$23.07 (about 15%) |
| Bill at 1,198 kWh a month | $185.07 → $228.39 (+$43.32) | Not reported |
| Status | Pending; hearing November 12, 2026 | Filed October 2026 |

Source: Cardinal News reporting of the company's application and SCC staff filings, October 16, 2026. Customer count from the company's May 29, 2026 SCC filing.

The company filed the base rate application in late April 2026. Cardinal News' May report gave a proposed effective date of June 1; its October report says the company is now asking to raise rates for service on or after February 1. Cardinal News does not give a year; given the November 2026 hearing, that would be 2027. The company says it needs the money for "continuous significant investments in its facilities to provide safe, reliable access to energy," and that it has invested or plans to invest $2.26 billion from August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2027.

Separately, in a fuel factor application filed February 17, 2026, the company asked to raise its fuel charge by $2.73 a month on a 1,000 kWh residential bill. Fuel charges pass through the cost of generating power and are handled apart from base rates. The reporting does not say whether the $36.66 figure includes the fuel request, so do not add the two together.

## The Math

All figures below are our arithmetic from the reported bills, at the stated usage. They are requested amounts, not approved rates.

- **Per kWh, excluding the fixed charge:** today, ($156.46 − $12) ÷ 1,000 kWh = **14.45¢/kWh**. Requested, ($193.12 − $15) ÷ 1,000 kWh = **17.81¢/kWh**. The 1,198 kWh bills give the same two figures, which suggests the increase is a flat $3 fixed charge plus about **3.4¢ more per kWh** across all usage-based charges in the company's example bills. That is an all-in figure, not the base energy rate alone.
- **Per year at 1,000 kWh a month:** $36.66 × 12 = **$439.92** under the request, or $23.07 × 12 = **$276.84** under the staff recommendation.
- **Staff bill at 1,000 kWh:** $156.46 + $23.07 = **$179.53**, about 14.7% higher than today.
- **Company vs. staff gap:** $36.66 − $23.07 = **$13.59 a month** at 1,000 kWh.

Your own increase depends on your usage. A home using 500 kWh a month would see less in dollars than the examples above; one with electric heat using more in winter would see more.

## What It Means for Solar Owners and Shoppers

If you have solar or are considering it in Old Dominion Power territory, the request cuts both ways.

- **Each kWh your panels offset would be worth more.** If your utility credits the solar power you use or export at the full per-kWh price, a rise of about 3.4¢/kWh raises the value of every kWh offset. For example, a system that offsets 600 kWh a month would save about $20 a month more (600 × 3.4¢), assuming full retail credit and that the request is approved in full. At the staff-recommended level the gain would be smaller. Confirm how your exports are credited with the company before relying on this.
- **The fixed charge cannot be offset.** The proposed customer charge rises from $12 to $15 a month whether you have solar or not. Panels reduce the per-kWh part of your bill, never the fixed part. Our guide to [fixed charges and solar savings](/posts/fixed-charges-and-solar-savings/) explains why that matters for payback.
- **Don't rely on the requested rate in a quote.** If an installer's savings estimate assumes the full 23% increase, ask for a version based on today's rates and one based on the staff recommendation. The final rate could land at either end or in between.

## How to Comment

The SCC accepts comments from any customer. Reference **Case No. PUR-2026-00051**.

- **Written comments:** through the SCC's online public comment page for the case, or by mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, VA 23218-2118.
- **Speak at the hearing:** the hearing on the base rate request begins at **10 a.m. on November 12, 2026**. Sign up by **November 5, 2026** through the SCC's public witness form or by calling 804-371-9141.

## What Happens Next

The SCC's three commissioners, who sit as judges, will decide whether to approve all, part or none of the base rate and fuel requests. Old Dominion Power's last base rate increase was approved in January 2025. In the case before that, the SCC approved $6.5 million of a $12.2 million request and kept the residential customer charge at $12, according to its May 25, 2022 final order.

The company is also part of a proposed merger of Kentucky Utilities into its sister utility, Louisville Gas and Electric, filed with the SCC on May 29, 2026. That is a separate case.

For how requests like this move from filing to your bill, see [how electric rate cases work](/posts/how-electric-rate-cases-work/).

## Limitations

We could not open the SCC's docket documents directly during this report. The rate and bill figures come from Cardinal News' reporting of the company's application and staff filings; the customer count and prior-case figures come from SCC filings we reviewed. Bill figures are the company's examples at fixed usage levels and do not include local taxes. We will update this article when the SCC rules.

## Sources and verification

| Important claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| $19 million (22.4%) request; $36.66 at 1,000 kWh ($156.46 → $193.12); $12 → $15 customer charge; 10.95% ROE; staff $11.9 million, $23.07, 9.8%; fuel $2.73; hearing Nov. 12, sign-up Nov. 5 | [Cardinal News, Oct. 16, 2026](https://cardinalnews.org/2026/10/16/old-dominion-power-rate-increase-request-heads-to-state-regulators/) | Qualified (news report of SCC filings) |
| 1,198 kWh forecast and $185.07 → $228.39; filed late April 2026 | [Cardinal News, May 12, 2026](https://cardinalnews.org/2026/05/12/cardinal-commerce-notes-old-dominion-power-proposes-rate-hike-2-roanoke-businesses-expand-food-farm-trail-debut-public-meeting-about-rail/) and [June 23, 2026](https://cardinalnews.org/2026/06/23/cardinal-commerce-notes-heres-how-to-share-your-thoughts-on-old-dominion-powers-rate-hike-request/) | Qualified (news report of SCC filings) |
| About 28,000 Virginia customers in five counties; KU-into-LG&E merger filing, May 29, 2026 | [KU/ODP and LG&E joint application to the SCC, May 29, 2026 (filed with Kentucky PSC, Case 2026-00077)](https://psc.ky.gov/pscecf/2026-00077/rick.lovekamp@lge-ku.com/06022026040404/03-2026_PSC_DR3_KU_LGE_Attach_to_Q12_-_Att_1_ODP_Merger_-_Chapter_3_and_4_Application.pdf) | Verified |
| 2022 case: $6.5 million approved of $12.2 million requested; $12 customer charge kept | [SCC Final Order, Case PUR-2021-00171, May 25, 2022](https://www.scc.virginia.gov/docketsearch/DOCS/775g01!.PDF) | Verified |

## Frequently asked questions

### How much would Old Dominion Power bills go up?

Under the company's request, a residential customer using 1,000 kWh a month would pay $36.66 more, from $156.46 to $193.12, or about 23%. At the 1,198 kWh a month the company forecasts for an average home in 2027, the bill would go from $185.07 to $228.39. These are requested figures; the SCC has not ruled.

### When would new Old Dominion Power rates take effect?

Cardinal News reports that the company is asking to raise rates for service on or after February 1. It does not give a year; given the November 2026 hearing, that would be 2027. The SCC decides whether to approve all, part or none of the request, so the final amount and timing are not yet known.

### What does SCC staff recommend?

SCC staff recommends a revenue increase of about $11.9 million instead of $19 million, a 9.8% return on equity instead of the 10.95% requested, and keeping the residential customer charge at $12. Cardinal News reports that would mean $23.07 more a month at 1,000 kWh, about 15%.

### How do I comment on the Old Dominion Power rate case?

Reference Case No. PUR-2026-00051. You can submit a written comment through the SCC's online comment page or by mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, VA 23218-2118. To speak at the November 12 hearing, sign up by November 5 through the SCC's public witness form or by calling 804-371-9141.

### Does this affect solar owners in Southwest Virginia?

Yes, in two ways. A higher per-kWh price makes each kWh your panels offset worth more. But the proposed $3 increase in the fixed customer charge, from $12 to $15, applies whether or not you have solar and cannot be offset by panels.


Image credit: Photo by Ludovico Ceroseis on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/a-view-of-a-mountain-range-with-power-lines-in-the-foreground-562t5dX4hog?utm_source=solarexaminer&utm_medium=referral)