Power company seeks electricity rate increase for Virginia customers.

Byline: Greg Edwards

Nov. 10--Appalachian Power Co. has asked the State Corporation Commission to approve a rate increase to cover the added cost of the fuel its uses to generate electricity.

Appalachian serves 500,000 customers in Southwest Virginia and is the state's second-largest electricity utility. It serves another 500,000 customers in West Virginia and Tennessee.

If the company's rate request is approved, the bill of a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month would rise -- 3.2 percent, or $2.45, to $79.34 per month, less taxes. If approved in full, the rate request would …