What it means for you
Starting Jan. 1, 2027, Dominion and Appalachian Power customers with incomes up to 200% of the poverty level can have their electric bill capped at 3% of income, or 5% if they heat with electricity. Today the caps are 6% and 10%, for incomes up to 150%.
Who benefits: Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power customers whose household income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Virginia’s Percentage of Income Payment Program caps a low-income household’s electric bill at a set share of its income, and the program covers the rest. Starting January 1, 2027, that share drops sharply. You’ll pay no more than 3% of your household income for electricity, or 5% if electricity is your main source of heat. Today the caps are 6% and 10%.
More households will also qualify. The income limit rises from 150% to 200% of the federal poverty level. You need to be a Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power customer, and you have to apply. You can apply online through CommonHelp or at your local Department of Social Services office.
The program is paid for by a small universal service fee on Dominion and Appalachian Power customers, charged by how much electricity each customer uses, so the biggest users pay the most. State law caps total program costs at $125 million a year. Nothing comes out of tax-funded services.
Del. Charniele Herring carried the bill. It passed the House 63–35 and the Senate 21–19, and Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed it on April 13, 2026.
Lower costsHousing
Where it stands, and how we know
Source for this status, checked November 11, 2026.
Sources
- HB 884, Electric utilities; Percentage of Income Payment Program, eligibilityVirginia Legislative Information System, April 13, 2026
- § 56-585.6. Universal service fee; Percentage of Income Payment Program and Fund (2026 updates)Code of Virginia
- § 56-585.6. (Effective January 1, 2027) Universal service fee; Percentage of Income Payment Program and FundCode of Virginia
- Percentage of Income Payment Program (PIPP)Virginia Department of Social Services
- HB 884 bill history and votesRichmond Sunlight
How we checked this
Drafted by Claude Opus 5.5 (Anthropic) on November 11, 2026. Checked against its sources by GPT-5.6-sol (OpenAI) on November 12, 2026, with no problems found. Confirmed the enacted text, effective date, eligibility and payment caps, funding mechanism, patron and signer, both final votes, and current status. No corrections needed.
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