Historic Triangle residents will soon face higher utility bills

HISTORIC TRIANGLE – Higher utility bills are about to become a reality for Historic Triangle residents as rate increases go into effect this month.

Dominion Energy sent out notifications this week to alert customers that the charges on their bills have gone up as of July 1. Meanwhile, residents of both the City of Williamsburg and York County will soon see other utility increases.

Dominion customers who use the average of 1,000 kilowatt-hours can expect to pay about $8 more per month, the company said. Higher usage during peak summer and winter months will result in more noticeable increases.

“Your cost may vary from the ‘typical bill’ based on the size of your home and energy efficiency,” according to the notice. The increase is said to be connected to “rising fuel costs.”

Dominion considers a “typical” home to be a two-bedroom apartment or modest one-story home, per an Axios report published in February.

The median home size in James City and York counties is notably larger than that, however, averaging about 2,400 square feet in James City County and 2,100 square feet in York County, according to Federal Reserve Bank data.

Ways to save

Dominion is offering tips for cutting electricity costs, including signing up for energy alerts to monitor usage, enrolling in budget billing and reducing energy usage during peak times when rates are highest.

Peak energy usage hours are typically between 2 and 8 p.m. during the summer. Winter peak hours are 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Weekends and holidays are usually considered “off-peak” times when electricity is cheaper.

The utility company is trying to incentivize energy use during off-peak hours by offering a Peak Time Rebates program, which eligible customers can enroll in for free.

Among the more controversial suggestions, Dominion is also recommending that residents set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher during the summer.

Some Virginians can receive financial help through the state’s summer cooling assistance program, which opened on June 15 and will close on August 15. To be eligible, households must include a vulnerable person who is less than 6 years old, more than 60 years old or disabled.

What’s next

Dominion says it is exploring ways to “generate more power and build new transmission lines” in Virginia to reduce the need to purchase power elsewhere.

Nonetheless, questions continue to swirl surrounding the impact that data centers are having on energy costs throughout the Commonwealth.

A 2024 Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) report said the unprecedented amounts of power consumed by data centers could potentially place severe strain on Virginia’s power grid.

Dominion has also proposed a $67 billion merger with NextEra Energy. If the plan is approved, the company would offer temporary bill credits of about $10 per household for two years, according to Dominion. The merger would create the largest utility company in the world.

Municipal increases add to impacts

Other utility increases are being implemented in York County and the City of Williamsburg as part of fiscal year 2027 budgets that went into effect on July 1.

York County’s sewer utility rate has increased to $57 bimonthly for single-family homes, up from the previous rate of $54. Garbage-only service has risen to $55 bimonthly, up from $50, while the combined garbage and recycling service rate has increased to $72 bimonthly, up from $70.

The City of Williamsburg has increased water rates by 7%, with the goal of using the increased revenue to address the city’s aging utility infrastructure.