A Virginia household of one with gross income of no more than $1,995 a month can have its electric bill capped as a share of income, as long as its power comes from Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power. The cap is 10% of income for homes heated mainly by electricity and 6% for everyone else. Past-due balances are forgiven one-twelfth at a time.
What the cap works out to
The Virginia Department of Social Services runs the Percentage of Income Payment Program, known as PIPP, for eligible Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power households. Income must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, measured on a monthly table.
Through December 31, 2026, the monthly gross income limit is $1,995 for one person, $2,705 for two, $3,415 for three and $4,125 for four. The table continues to $4,835 for five people and $5,545 for six. The state gives no figures for dates after the year ends.
Annualized, the household-of-one limit comes to $23,940, which is 150% of the $15,960 federal poverty guideline for one person. The four-person figure of $4,125 a month is $49,500 a year. Both are simple multiplication of the state’s monthly table, not numbers the state publishes separately.
A household means everyone who lives in the same home and shares the same electric service. The applicant needs an active electric account with Dominion or Appalachian Power (APCo/AEP). Income is gross, which means before deductions, and it counts for every member of the household.
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Three caps apply, depending on the household. It pays 10% of gross monthly income if electricity is the main heat source, 6% if electricity is not the main heat source, and $10 a month if the household has no income. A home heated mainly by gas or oil falls in the 6% group.
The arithmetic is straightforward. A one-person household at the $1,995 limit would pay up to $199.50 a month at the 10% rate or $119.70 at 6%. A four-person household at $4,125 would pay up to $412.50 or $247.50. The approval notice states the actual monthly PIPP amount.
How the old balance disappears
The forgiveness is built into the monthly payment. Each month a household pays its full PIPP amount on time, one-twelfth of its old past-due balance is forgiven. A $1,200 balance would shrink by $100 a month. After 12 months of on-time payments, the state says, the past-due balance is gone.
The page also lists free home energy audits as a possible benefit, aimed at cutting future energy costs. Together with the cap, that gives the program two levers, one on what is owed from before and one on what the household uses going forward.
The condition is strict. A household that does not pay its full PIPP amount on time gets no PIPP credits for that month, and the unpaid amount is added to what it owes. Miss payments two months in a row and the electric service may be disconnected, with all old and new unpaid balances due.
The consequence of a slip is not symmetrical with the benefit. A household that pays on time for 11 months and misses the twelfth still has forgiven 11 months of old balance, but the page ties full forgiveness to 12 months of on-time payments, and a missed month earns no credit.
Partial payments, missed payments or a failure to re-verify income can also lead to removal from the program. The case closes if the electric account closes, which matters for anyone who moves.
Applying through CommonHelp or the local office
Applicants can apply online through CommonHelp, the Department of Social Services portal for benefits, or submit a paper application to the local department of social services, which the state’s office finder sorts by county or city. English and Spanish PDF applications are on the state’s PIPP page.
Applicants need proof of income for the last 30 days for every adult 18 and older, a current electric bill and Social Security numbers for all household members. The local office may ask for more. Processing takes up to 30 days, and a household that hears nothing after 30 days should contact the local office.
Approval brings a notice stating the monthly PIPP amount, and the electricity provider then sends notices about when the first payment is due. Households must renew every 12 months so the local office can confirm eligibility, and must report income or household changes within five days.
A denial can be appealed. The notice explains the reason and how to file. The state’s appeals page says appeals for programs other than SNAP must be filed within 30 days of the notice, and a hearing officer schedules the hearing with the local agency.
The income table is dated. A household near the line should note that the figures run only through December 31, 2026, and that the state’s page gives no limits for the months after. Gross income is the test, so a raise, a pension change or a new household member is worth checking against the table.
Could this winter’s electric bill be capped?
PIPP works only while every payment lands on time, the case is renewed every 12 months and income changes are reported inside five days. Miss one of those and a capped bill can turn back into a full one, with a disconnection possible after two missed payments in a row.
The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit covers heating, cooling and home-repair help, and it includes an application log and renewal calendar for exactly this kind of program: filing dates, the office contacted and the renewal month in one place.
Log PIPP filings and renewal dates with the Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit calendar →
More Financial Reading
- 21 Ways to Stretch a $2,087 Social Security Check
- 15 Places to Find Your Share of the $4.25 Billion States Give Back
- 15 Ways Retirees Are Tapping a Record $14.9 Trillion in Home Equity
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
