ROANOKE, Va. – There’s a new Virginia bill that could help curb the costs of your electric bills, House Bill 1075, and it’s moving through Richmond.
House Bill 1075, which is aimed specifically at Appalachian Power customers, has passed the Virginia House of Delegates and is now headed to the state Senate.
Del. Sam Rasoul, who introduced the bill, said it’s a step toward accountability and could eventually help keep bills in check.
“People are complaining that the electric bills are too high. We all feel the pressure from these AEP bills. AEP is coming to the SCC to ask to look at their rates, maybe even for an increase later this year. We wanted to put some guardrails on that. We’ve got to do more to put pressure on to bring these bills down,” said Del. Rasoul.
What HB 1075 Would Do
The proposal centers on how Appalachian Power plans for future electricity needs.
If it becomes law, HB 1075 would direct Virginia’s utility regulator, the State Corporation Commission (SCC), to:
- Take a closer look during this year’s rate review at how Appalachian Power decides how much power it will need in the years ahead
- Identify ways to help keep electric bills lower for customers
- Recommend ways to strengthen the power grid against severe weather
By next year, the SCC would have to report its findings to the governor, along with ideas for what Appalachian Power or the state should do next.
Appalachian Power says it supports the bill.
“This bill is about the customer, and we 100% support putting the customer first,”said Communications Specialist Sr. Debby Pannell.
Lawmakers Say Families Are Struggling
Delegate Sam Rasoul, who voted in favor of the bill, says it comes at a time when many Virginians are facing unusually high bills after a cold winter.
“People are really struggling, and they’re getting really high electric bills as we speak from a very cold winter,” said Del. Rasoul, “We really need our utilities to do everything that they can to take it easy on our electric bills, for sure.”
For people like Carey Chitwood, those bills are more than just numbers on a page — they’re a serious financial strain.
Chitwood’s March bill from Appalachian Power is $833. On top of that, the electricity for her garage is on a separate meter, adding another $353.
“It’s kind of like you’re fighting up against a wall and you don’t know how to break through that and get through to them because a lot of them — they aren’t experiencing what we are.”
Chitwood is also thinking about what happens next if the bill passes.
“What are we talking, two, four years from now?” she asked.“So do we still have two to four more years of dealing with high costs like this? What if next winter is just as harsh as this winter?”
Expert: Bill Offers “Hope, But Not Much Else”
Even with the bill moving forward, experts caution that customers shouldn’t expect to see dramatic drops on their bills anytime soon.
David Bieri, an associate professor of public policy at Virginia Tech, says HB 1075 may help shape policy and oversight, but its impact might be limited from a consumer’s perspective.
“We can have hopes that a bill like HB 1075 would do something, but it’s not going to turn the needle in a way that we’re going to feel it. It gives us hope, but not much else,” said Bieri.
What Appalachian Power Says You Can Do Now
While lawmakers debate the bill in Richmond, Appalachian Power says there are steps customers can take if they open a statement and find a shockingly high balance.
The company says:
- If you receive a high bill, call its customer service center
- Trained specialists can review your energy usage with you
- You can contest your bill if you believe there’s an error or if something doesn’t look right