Municipal Virginia

Bristol Virginia Utilities

43min
SAIDI 2023
0.46
SAIFI 2023
16,401
Customers

What This Utility Data Tells You

Bristol Virginia Utilities is a municipally-owned utility operating in Virginia under EIA identifier 2248. It reports service to approximately 16,401 customer accounts and generated about $0.05 billion in annual electric revenue, with a service footprint spanning 5 ZIP codes. As a municipal utility, it is typically governed by a local board or city council and is exempt from federal income tax.

In 2023, the average Bristol Virginia Utilities customer experienced 43.2 minutes of power interruptions — a metric called SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index). That places this utility well below the 120–180 minute national benchmark, signaling strong grid hardening and fast restoration practices. SAIFI — the average number of outage events per customer — was 0.46 for the same period, so customers statistically faced roughly 0 distinct interruptions that year. Excluding major event days (hurricanes, ice storms), SAIDI drops to 43.2 minutes — the gap between that figure and the headline 43.2 reveals how much weather, not day-to-day infrastructure, drove outages.

The EIA dataset includes 4 years of continuous reporting (2020–2023) for Bristol Virginia Utilities, which lets you see whether reliability is trending up or down rather than judging from a single snapshot. SAIDI has improved from 86.3 to 43.2 minutes over that window — a meaningful direction for prospective customers and regulators watching capital investment outcomes. All figures on this page come directly from EIA Form 861, the federal annual electric power industry survey, with service territory ZIPs sourced from OpenEI — you can cross-reference them with your own utility bill or use them when comparing providers before relocating.

SAIDI

43 min per year

Average outage minutes (2023)

SAIFI

0.46 interruptions/yr

Outage frequency (2023)

Customers

16,401

Served in Virginia

SAIDI vs. National Average (180 min) 10.8%

43 minutes per customer per year

Bristol Virginia Utilities SAIDI

Minutes without power per year (2023)

43 SAIDI43 SAIDINat. avg 120120SAIDI43SAIDI

Excellent

Reliability Trend (2020–2023)

Year SAIDI (min) SAIDI nMED SAIFI Customers
2020 86.3 59.3 0.960 15,894
2021 85.6 57.9 0.950 15,856
2022 42.5 42.5 0.473 15,989
2023 43.2 43.2 0.462 15,954

SAIDI nMED = SAIDI without major event days. Source: EIA Form 861.

Service Area

Bristol Virginia Utilities serves 5 ZIP codes in Virginia.

2420124202242032420924210

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is Bristol Virginia Utilities?

Bristol Virginia Utilities had a SAIDI of 43.2 minutes in 2023, meaning the average customer experienced about 43 minutes of outages that year. This is below the national average, indicating above-average reliability.

What type of utility is Bristol Virginia Utilities?

Bristol Virginia Utilities is classified as a Municipal serving Virginia. Municipal utilities are owned and operated by local governments.

What does SAIDI mean for Bristol Virginia Utilities?

SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) measures the average total minutes per year that a customer of Bristol Virginia Utilities experiences power outages. A lower SAIDI indicates better reliability. The national average is roughly 120-180 minutes per year, so comparing Bristol Virginia Utilities's SAIDI to that benchmark shows whether this utility is above or below average.

How many customers does Bristol Virginia Utilities serve?

Bristol Virginia Utilities serves approximately 16,401 customers in Virginia. Customer count can affect reliability metrics because larger utilities may face different infrastructure challenges compared to smaller ones.

How has Bristol Virginia Utilities's reliability changed over time?

Bristol Virginia Utilities has 4 years of reliability data (2020-2023). SAIDI has remained relatively stable over this period. Review the trend table above for year-by-year detail.

What is SAIDI without major event days?

SAIDI "without major event days" (SAIDI nMED) excludes outages caused by hurricanes, ice storms, and other catastrophic weather events. It better reflects day-to-day infrastructure reliability rather than vulnerability to extreme weather. Both standard SAIDI and SAIDI nMED are shown in the reliability trend table above.

Utility Profile

Type
Municipal
State
Virginia
Customers
16,401
Annual Revenue
$0.05B
EIA ID
2248
Data Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Form 861 annual electric power industry survey. ZIP service territory from OpenEI.

Related

Data sourced from official EIA reliability statistics and OpenEI utility rate database. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainUtility Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form 861. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.