Rockland Electric Rates 2026: What NJ Customers Pay

A utility bill arrives at a farmhouse in Mahwah or a split-level in Tuxedo with the name "Rockland Electric" at the top. Many New Jersey residents barely recognize it, and that's partly because the company, also known as RECO, serves a narrow strip of Bergen and Passaic counties along the New York border, one of the smallest utility service territories in the state.

Rockland Electric is a subsidiary of Orange and Rockland Utilities, which is itself owned by Consolidated Edison. Its New Jersey footprint is modest compared to giants like PSE&G or Atlantic City Electric, but the rules that govern it are the same. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) regulates RECO's distribution rates, consumer protections, and the framework for electricity choice in its territory. If you want to explore all of New Jersey's utility options side by side, the New Jersey electricity guide at ElectricRates.org is a good starting point.

Every New Jersey utility is required to offer a default electricity supply option to customers who haven't chosen a third-party supplier. That default is called Basic Generation Service (BGS), and it's set through a competitive auction process overseen by the NJBPU.

As of June 2026, Rockland Electric's BGS rate is approximately 18.8 cents per kWh for the supply portion of the bill. That figure covers the cost of generating and procuring electricity. It does not include delivery charges, transmission costs, or fixed fees, all of which appear as separate line items regardless of which supplier a customer uses.

For context, BGS is not a "penalty" rate for passive customers. It reflects what RECO procured through the state auction, and in many periods it is competitive with or cheaper than what third-party suppliers offer.

New Jersey is a deregulated electricity state, which means residential customers can choose a competitive electricity supplier instead of taking BGS from their utility. In theory, a supplier operating in a thin-margin territory might offer a lower rate, passing along wholesale savings.

In practice, RECO's territory is a different story. As of June 2026, the lowest competitive supplier rate available to Rockland Electric customers is approximately 18.9 cents per kWh, which is actually a fraction of a cent higher than the BGS rate of 18.8 cents. Very few suppliers bother to actively quote this territory at all, likely because the customer base is small and the economics of marketing there are thin.

The bottom line: switching suppliers does not currently save money for most RECO customers. Staying on BGS is the cheaper supply option right now. That said, supplier offers change frequently. Check ElectricRates.org's New Jersey rate comparison for live pricing before making any decision.

Putting Rockland Electric's rate in perspective helps customers understand whether they're paying more or less than their neighbors across the state.

As of June 2026:

PSE&G BGS: approximately 19.9 cents per kWh. Competitive suppliers go as low as about 17.6 cents, a roughly 11 percent savings on the supply portion.

Atlantic City Electric BGS: approximately 18.2 cents per kWh. Competitive suppliers go as low as about 16.7 cents, roughly 8 percent savings on supply.

JCP&L BGS: approximately 14.6 cents per kWh. Competitive suppliers start around 16.0 cents, so BGS is actually cheaper, and switching makes no sense financially right now.

Rockland Electric BGS: approximately 18.8 cents per kWh. Lowest supplier offer is about 18.9 cents. No meaningful savings from switching.

Rockland Electric sits in the middle of the pack on raw BGS cost, but it shares with JCP&L the distinction of being a territory where deregulation currently offers residential customers no financial upside.

The supply rate, whether BGS or a third-party supplier price, is only one component of what RECO customers pay each month. Delivery charges, which cover the poles, wires, transformers, and local infrastructure, are set by the NJBPU through rate cases and apply regardless of supplier choice.

Other line items may include transmission charges, a societal benefits charge (which funds energy efficiency and low-income programs), and various state-mandated fees. These charges are fixed by regulation and cannot be changed by switching suppliers. A customer who moves to a competitive supplier keeps paying RECO's delivery rate.

This matters because some supplier offers are marketed as a low cents-per-kWh price, but that price only applies to the supply portion of the bill. The total bill depends on both supply and delivery combined. When comparing offers, the supply-only rate is what changes, not the full bill rate.

For households that struggle to pay electric bills, New Jersey offers several programs that apply to RECO customers.

Universal Service Fund (USF): The USF program caps electric bills as a percentage of household income for qualifying low-income customers. Administered by the NJBPU, it provides a monthly credit applied directly to the utility bill. Eligibility and benefit amounts are determined by income relative to federal poverty guidelines. Contact the NJBPU or your local community action agency to apply.

LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program): A federally funded program that provides one-time or seasonal grants to help low-income households pay energy bills, including electricity. In New Jersey, LIHEAP is administered through the state's Department of Community Affairs. Applications typically open in the fall and close when funding is exhausted.

NJBPU Lifeline Credit Program: A state-funded benefit for low-income seniors and disabled residents that provides an annual credit toward utility bills.

Eligibility details, income thresholds, and application windows change year to year. For current program information, visit the NJ Board of Public Utilities website or contact your county's community action agency directly. Do not rely on supplier representatives to explain these programs accurately, since suppliers have no involvement in administering them.

Because supplier choice is legal in New Jersey, third-party energy companies are permitted to solicit RECO customers by phone, mail, or door-to-door. Given that no supplier currently beats RECO's BGS rate, any aggressive pitch claiming major savings deserves extra scrutiny.

A few things to keep in mind. First, suppliers are required by the NJBPU to provide a written disclosure before enrollment, outlining the rate, contract length, and any cancellation fees. Read it before agreeing to anything. Second, variable-rate contracts can start low but adjust to market prices each month, sometimes significantly. Third, if you're enrolled without consent, that's called slamming, and it's illegal. Report it to the NJBPU.

The safest approach for Rockland Electric customers right now is to use a transparent comparison tool rather than relying on a sales pitch. Check ElectricRates.org for live supplier rates in RECO's territory before making any switch.

BGS rates are reset through the NJBPU's annual auction process, which means supply prices can shift meaningfully from one year to the next. A territory that offers no savings today might look different after the next auction round.

The best habit for RECO customers is a quick annual check, ideally in the spring when new BGS results become available, to see whether any competitive supplier has entered the territory with a price below BGS. That comparison takes only a few minutes and requires knowing your current BGS rate and your approximate monthly usage in kilowatt-hours (both listed on your bill).

For current rates and side-by-side supplier comparisons in Rockland Electric's territory, visit ElectricRates.org. All figures above are as of June 2026 and will be updated as new data becomes available.