Virginia Business Energy Bill Audit Guide

Virginia is not a general open electricity-shopping market for every business. Current Code §56-577 sets account and utility-specific limits, including restrictions for small nonresidential customers of Phase I and Phase II utilities. Confirm the actual eligibility route before treating an alternative supply rate as available.

Use the current statute, not an old statewide summary

The version of §56-577 checked on October 15, 2026 includes a provision barring nonresidential customers at or below 150 kW of noncoincident peak load for Phase I or Phase II utilities from purchasing under that section. It also contains provisions for qualifying larger loads, approved aggregation and renewable supply, with conditions. Do not rely on an old statement that a renewable product automatically makes every small business eligible.

The practical first step is to identify the serving utility, account demand and the specific basis proposed for service. Ask the utility and relevant provider to confirm current applicability. A simple price calculator cannot resolve that legal and tariff question or establish enrollment authorization.

Verify the provider and service territory

The SCC lists competitive service providers and aggregators with customer and utility context. A listing is a reference for provider identity and scope, not proof that a particular business account qualifies or that a given offer is suitable. Keep the written eligibility response with the price schedule.

If electricity choice is unavailable for the account, a bill review can still address the applicable tariff, usage, demand or a specific invoice question. The useful task should be described accurately rather than presenting every business inquiry as supplier switching.

Separate gas eligibility from electricity

The SCC resource includes gas-provider and utility context as a separate area. Identify the actual gas utility, business tariff and proposed supply or transportation arrangement. An electricity restriction does not by itself answer the gas question, and a gas option does not establish an electric one.

For gas pricing, match the unit and included transportation components. For electric pricing, preserve the definition of energy, capacity, transmission and delivery treatment. A rate comparison is only meaningful when both prices cover the same account and components.

An explicitly hypothetical arithmetic example

Suppose an account has independently confirmed eligibility and uses 600,000 annual kWh. Equivalent entered supply components differing by 0.2¢ per kWh produce a $1,200 annual modeled difference. If the offered scenario adds a separate $40 monthly fee, the difference becomes $720 before transition costs.

The example makes no claim about a Virginia supplier offer or whether any real business qualifies. If eligibility is unresolved, the result remains hypothetical. It does not establish an approved aggregation, renewable-service condition or tariff exemption.

Prepare an account-focused review

Gather the utility, class, annual usage, relevant demand information and current agreement. Describe whether the question concerns eligibility, an offer, utility demand or a bill line. Include the contract's dates and notice provisions where a renewal is involved.

For multiple locations, preserve each service territory and account scope rather than adding loads together and assuming the combined company qualifies. Current statutory aggregation provisions have their own requirements. A review should start by confirming the path, then assess comparable costs once that path is established.

Use the result as a starting point

Once the current and offered components match, use the business bill checker to show the arithmetic. It holds entered prices constant, does not fetch live offers, and does not independently calculate utility demand, delivery or tariff charges. Use the optional twelve-month usage series when one month is unrepresentative.

For an account question, send your business, state, utility and the issue through the first-party review form. Keep bills and account identifiers out of the initial message; arrange document sharing after connecting. A listing in this guide is not a supplier-availability guarantee.