Energy bills are up in Virginia. Now some are pushing back as Dominion Energy seeks another rate increase

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Aileen Rivera is feeling the financial pressure of rising energy costs.

"For the month of August, my bill is $419.60," the Henrico woman said about the electricity bill for her 1,400 square foot home.

Despite efforts to conserve energy — including keeping her thermostat in the mid-70s and doing laundry at night — her bill has continued to climb.

"We're two income. You know, we're both still working, but with everything going up, I mean, that $419 is huge," Rivera said.

Chesterfield resident Glenn Besa said the impact is even more severe for those on fixed incomes.

"If you're on a fixed income and your bill goes up to $20 or $50 or $100 more. Hey, you have a serious problem. You're going to have to sacrifice whether you pay for your medicine, whether you buy new shoes for your child for elementary school, you know, or whether you skimp on your groceries. That's what's happening here," Besa said.

Dominion Energy confirmed bills have risen.

Watch: Her Dominion bill increased even though her energy usage decreased

A company spokesperson said a typical bill for a customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month was $159.57 in September last year.

This year, that same usage is averaging $180.31 — a $20 difference.

Data provided by the company shows the cost of utility poles is up 56% from 2021 to 2025.

Insulators are up 58%, lightning arrestors are up 222%, and labor costs are up 41%.

Dominion says inflation is part of what is driving up customer bills.

Besa, a climate activist, has a different theory.

"These bills are rising because of data centers. Dominion has a keen interest in supplying electricity at data centers, and that means higher bills for all of us," Besa said.

Customers are also absorbing a $10 monthly increase for unrecovered fuel costs and an additional $13 per month tied to Virginia rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

Now, Dominion is asking the State Corporation Commission to approve yet another increase — $3.46 more per month for a typical residential customer.

The request is part of an update to Rider DIST, which funds grid transformation projects. The proposed increase prompted protesters to shred their energy bills outside the SCC's building.

Dominion did report one rare decrease: a $2.15 monthly reduction in Rider RPS, which covers the cost of renewable energy certificates required under the Virginia Clean Economy Act.

Rivera said customers deserve more.

"You know, the rate payers deserve better, and it's like I said, it's concerning," Rivera said.

Dominion Energy issued a statement addressing affordability concerns and its proposed merger with NextEra Energy.

"Dominion Energy Virginia has affordably and reliably powered the Commonwealth for more than a century. The company will continue to serve customers from Richmond under local leadership, with full State Corporation Commission oversight, and in accordance with the policies set forth by the General Assembly. If approved, our Virginia customers will benefit from $1.78 billion in NextEra Energy shareholder-funded bill credits. Over the longer-term our projects will be more efficient to finance, purchase, and build due to the stronger credit and buying power of the combined company," the company said.

The proposed merger with NextEra includes a promise of bill credits that would lower monthly bills for a typical customer by about $10. The SCC is still expected to issue a decision in January, despite calls from dozens of legislators urging the governor to call a special session to extend the 180-day review window to 360 days.

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