Energy costs in Charleston, WV
Energy prices are published by state, not by city, so the rates and bills below are West Virginia figures and apply to Charleston the same as anywhere else in the state. The solar production is different: that is modelled for Charleston's own coordinates, and it varies a lot within a single state.
Solar at Charleston's coordinates
7,316kWh a year from 6 kW
That is close to the West Virginia average, so the state figure would not have misled you here. At 16.80¢ a kilowatt hour it pays back in about 9.6 years with full net metering.
Electricity · West Virginia
16.80¢
per kWh, statewide ›
Typical bill · West Virginia
$165
a month, statewide ›
Air conditioning
$137
a year, statewide ›
Heating
$1494
a season, statewide ›
Common questions
What is the electricity rate in Charleston?
16.80¢ per kilowatt hour. That is the West Virginia residential average from the EIA — rates are published per state, not per city, so it applies across Charleston and the rest of West Virginia alike.
What is the average electric bill in Charleston?
About $165 a month for a typical West Virginia household. Again this is a state figure: EIA reports revenue and customer counts by state, so a city-level bill would be an invention.
Is solar worth it in Charleston?
A 6 kW system at Charleston's coordinates is modelled at about 7,316 kilowatt hours a year, which pays for itself in roughly 9.6 years at West Virginia electricity prices with full net metering. This one is genuinely local — production is modelled for this point, not the state.
Everything for West Virginia
Rates, bills, heating, cooling and solar for the whole state, with the working behind each figure.
West Virginia energy costsCoordinates from the US Census Bureau place gazetteer. Solar production modelled by NREL PVWatts for those coordinates, south-facing at 20°. Prices from the US Energy Information Administration, residential sector, 2026-05, published per state.