Choice state: you can pick a supplierRhode Island Electricity Rates
Rate data for Rhode Island is being refreshed. The regulator and market facts below are current; figures return with the next data load.
Can you choose your electricity supplier in Rhode Island?
Yes. Rhode Island opened its retail electricity market in 1997 under Rhode Island Energy Choice, so you can buy the supply portion of your bill from a competitive supplier while your utility keeps delivering the power and handling outages.
ElectricRates.org does not yet list Rhode Island plans. We add states as our enrollment partner brings their utilities online; you can compare and switch today in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington DC.
Rates and rules are overseen by the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission. Major utilities: Rhode Island Energy (formerly National Grid). Grid operator: ISO New England.
Get notified when Rhode Island plans go live
One email when you can compare and switch here. Nothing else.
Notify meAlmost the whole state is one utility, but your supply price is reset only twice a year: Rhode Island Energy's default Last Resort Service rate jumps from a summer price on April 1 to a winter price on October 1 (11.09¢ to 17.029¢/kWh in 2026), so a mover arriving in autumn inherits the winter rate for six months unless they shop a registered supplier or land in one of the towns with an opt-out municipal aggregation contract.
Who will deliver your power in Rhode Island
The utility is fixed by your address. These are the largest in the state, with what each says it needs from a new customer.
Rhode Island Energy (The Narragansett Electric Company, PPL)investor-owned
Delivers electricity across a 1,200-square-mile territory covering 38 of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns (Block Island and the Pascoag/Harrisville villages of Burrillville are served by their own utilities). About 501,236 electricity customers (PPL overview sheet); PPL says over 770,000 electric and gas customers combined.
You can start, stop or transfer service online up to 40 business days in advance, and you must prove identity with a Social Security number or a government-issued photo ID (or a photo ID plus a second document), with up to 2 business days for ID processing through its upload portal. Its Terms and Conditions (RIPUC No. 2300, effective Sept 1, 2026) say applications for new service should be made as far in advance as possible (to allow for engineering, materials and construction) and that the company may require a cash deposit or other collateral as security, with interest reset each March 1 to the prior-year average 10-year Treasury rate; no dollar amount is stated.
Start service with Rhode Island Energy →Sources: rienergy.com, rienergy.com, rienergy.com, pplweb.mediaroom.com, news.pplweb.com
Clear River Electric & Water District (formerly Pascoag Utility District)public power district
Quasi-municipal not-for-profit district serving about 4,800 electric customers in the villages of Pascoag and Harrisville in Burrillville; formed Jan 1, 2025 when Pascoag Utility District merged with the Harrisville Fire District water department. About 4,800 electric customers (per the district).
Open an account by filling out the online application for electric and/or water service; customer service is 401-568-6222, office hours Mon–Wed 7am–3:30pm, Thu 7am–7pm, Fri 7am–11:30am. The district's pages do not state a deposit amount or a lead time, and it says it offers no discounted rate, only hardship protections.
Start service with Clear River Electric & Water District →Sources: crewri.org, crewri.org, crewri.org, crewri.org
Block Island Utility District (d/b/a Block Island Power Company)public power district
The only electric utility on Block Island; a quasi-municipal corporation created by the Block Island Utility District Act of 2017 that began operating March 25, 2019, fed from the mainland by an undersea cable since May 2017 with on-island diesel generators kept as backup. About 1,644 residential and 346 commercial customers in calendar 2024 (per RI Division of Public Utilities); the company says roughly 1,925 electric accounts.
Download the service application and email or mail it to the office at 100 Ocean Avenue, PO Box 518, Block Island, RI 02807; a deposit is required of all new services, $300 residential and $1,000 commercial, payable to Block Island Power Company and held until the account is closed. Office hours are Monday–Friday (emergency line 401-466-3220; billing questions 466-5851), and the company says it will not disconnect protected households (all adults 62+, handicapped or seriously ill members, or an infant under 24 months with financial hardship).
Start service with Block Island Utility District →Sources: blockislandpowercompany.com, blockislandpowercompany.com, blockislandpowercompany.com, blockislandpowercompany.com, ripuc.ri.gov
Deposits, ID, and supplier choice in Rhode Island
Deposits. The Division of Public Utilities' Standards for Electric Utilities (815-RICR-30-00-1 §1.3(D)) let a utility require a cash deposit or other collateral before starting service, capped at the estimated bill for two normal billing periods, with interest paid on deposits held six months or more and the deposit plus interest refunded (less any amount owed) when service ends. Rhode Island Energy's tariff reserves the right to a deposit without stating an amount; Block Island Power charges $300 on every new residential account. (rules.sos.ri.gov)
Choosing a supplier. Yes. Rhode Island's electric market was restructured in 1996: a residential customer can buy supply from a competitive 'nonregulated power producer' registered with the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, or take the utility's default Last Resort Service; the Division's free EmpowerRI site (https://www.ri.gov/app/dpuc/empowerri, 401-780-2133) compares supplier offers, Rhode Island Energy will block your account from supplier switches on request, and since a 2019 law residential supplier contracts cannot auto-renew into different terms. Separately, under a 2017 law Narragansett, Newport, Portsmouth, South Kingstown, Providence, Barrington, Central Falls and North Kingstown run opt-out municipal aggregation plans (Bristol, Middletown and Westerly also have PUC-approved plans), so a new account in those towns may be enrolled in the town's supply contract unless you opt out.
Rhode Island Energy's Last Resort Service price for residential customers is fixed for six months and reset on April 1 and October 1; for October 1, 2026–March 31, 2027 the residential total commodity charge is 17.029¢/kWh (RIPUC No. 2096), up from 11.09¢ in summer 2026 and 14.770¢ last winter, which RIE estimated adds about $12 a month versus last winter for a 500 kWh household. Delivery is billed separately: the A-16 residential rate carries a $7.47 monthly customer charge plus per-kWh delivery charges totaling 15.274¢/kWh under the October 1, 2026 summary of delivery rates (RIPUC No. 2095), and new A-16, A-60 and Terms and Conditions tariffs took effect September 1, 2026. Separately, RIE filed a two-year base distribution rate case on Nov 26, 2025 (Dockets 25-45-GE/25-33-GE) requesting, as modified, a $77.4 million electric increase, which the company estimated at about $9.02/month or 5.6% for a 500 kWh customer in year one if approved as filed; the PUC's May 2026 hearing notice said it may approve rates that differ from those proposed. The PUC's termination rules (810-RICR-10-00-1) define a Nov 1–May 1 utility termination moratorium and protected-status categories (all adults 62+, handicapped, seriously ill, infant under 2 with financial hardship, LIHEAP recipients).
Sources: rules.sos.ri.gov, rules.sos.ri.gov, ripuc.ri.gov, ripuc.ri.gov, ri.gov, rienergy.com, rienergy.com, rienergy.com, rienergy.com, rienergy.com, news.pplweb.com, news.pplweb.com, ripuc.ri.gov, ripuc.ri.gov, ripuc.ri.gov, blockislandpowercompany.com
Help paying an electric bill in Rhode Island
Rhode Island Department of Human Services, with applications taken at local Community Action Program (CAP) agencies
Households at or below 60% of Rhode Island's median income for their size; you do not have to be on public assistance or have an unpaid heating bill, applications are generally taken September through May (online or at a CAP agency), and DHS warned that for FFY 2026 grants were smaller, vendor notifications began December 1, 2025 and the last day to apply was April 15, 2026. Federally, LIHEAP is funded through the HHS Administration for Children and Families and targets households with high energy burdens or elderly, disabled or young-child members.
Sources: dhs.ri.gov, dhs.ri.gov, dhs.ri.gov, ricommunityaction.org, acf.gov
Weatherization Assistance Program (Rhode Island)
Rhode Island Department of Human Services through Community Action Program agencies, with federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy
Households that qualify for LIHEAP (DHS says you must already qualify for LIHEAP to be eligible for weatherization); CAP agencies take applications year-round, applicants should apply for LIHEAP first, and both homeowners and renters with landlord approval are eligible for whole-house efficiency work such as insulation, draft reduction and smoke/CO detectors.
Sources: dhs.ri.gov, dhs.ri.gov, energy.gov
Rhode Island Energy Discount Rate (A-60 Low Income Rate)
Rhode Island Energy (PUC-approved tariff RIPUC No. 2283)
Head-of-household or principal-wage-earner customers get 25% off the total monthly bill if they receive SNAP, qualify for LIHEAP or receive SSI, and 30% off if enrolled in Medicaid, Rhode Island Works or General Public Assistance; you upload a benefit confirmation letter through RIE's Globalscape portal (DHS can help at 855-697-4347) and must recertify annually. RIE said in July 2026 it had agreed with regulators on enhancements to the discount for winter 2026-27 but gave no details in that release.
Sources: rienergy.com, ripuc.ri.gov, news.pplweb.com
Good Neighbor Energy Fund and RI Operation HELP (hardship funds)
Good Neighbor Energy Fund is administered by United Way of Rhode Island (dial 211); Operation HELP is Rhode Island Energy's employee-funded assistance program
Rhode Island Energy says funds are available for eligible customers experiencing hardship and that it doubled its 2026 Good Neighbor Energy Fund contribution; its Customer Advocates and Budget Billing (payments spread evenly over 12 months) are also offered. Eligibility rules are not stated in these sources.
Sources: news.pplweb.com, news.pplweb.com, crewri.org
Clear River Electric & Water District Financial Hardship Protection
Clear River Electric & Water District (Pascoag/Harrisville)
Households whose income is at or below 75% of the state median for their family size (plus infant-under-24-months, handicapped, serious-illness and all-residents-62+ categories) get protection from winter disconnection and extended payment arrangements, renewed annually with proof of income; the district stresses it offers protections only, not rate reductions, and refers customers to Tri-County Community Action (401-351-2750) for LIHEAP.
Sources: crewri.org, crewri.org
Programs that change what you pay
- Rooftop solar (net metering)available
- State law (R.I. Gen. Laws § 39-26.4) requires Rhode Island Energy to credit customer-sited renewable systems for generation up to 125% of on-site use, with systems sized to a three-year consumption average, excess credited at the Last Resort Service avoided-cost rate, and a 20% credit reduction for projects started after April 15, 2023; on Block Island the utility runs its own program capped at 15% of summer peak (507.73 kW remaining, 30 kW maximum project) at a net-metering rate of $0.1540/kWh effective 1/1/2026.
Sources: energy.ri.gov, blockislandpowercompany.com
- Community solaravailable
- The Office of Energy Resources says renters, homeowners, municipalities and nonprofits can subscribe to a shared community solar farm and save on their monthly bill, and it runs a Community Solar Marketplace listing projects open to subscribers; the net-metering law now requires at least 50% of a community solar project's capacity to go to low- and moderate-income residents or disadvantaged communities.
Sources: energy.ri.gov, energy.ri.gov
- Time-of-use ratesnone
- Rhode Island Energy's residential rates page lists only the A-16 basic residential and A-60 low-income rates, with no residential time-of-use option; Block Island Power instead uses seasonal distribution pricing, with its highest rates in July–August, a shoulder rate May–June and September–October, and the lowest rates November–April.
Sources: rienergy.com, ripuc.ri.gov
Questions people ask before moving to Rhode Island
How far ahead should I set up electricity before moving to Rhode Island?
Rhode Island Energy lets you schedule a start, stop or transfer online up to 40 business days ahead, needs a Social Security number or government photo ID, and says to allow up to 2 business days to process ID sent through its portal; its tariff asks for new-service applications as far in advance as possible. On Block Island you download and email or mail an application with a $300 residential deposit, and in Pascoag/Harrisville you file Clear River's online account application.
Sources: rienergy.com, rienergy.com, rienergy.com, blockislandpowercompany.com, crewri.org
Will I have to pay a deposit to start electric service in Rhode Island?
Possibly: the Division of Public Utilities' standards let any electric utility require a cash deposit or other collateral, capped at the estimated bill for two normal billing periods, with interest after six months and a refund (less any balance) when service ends. Rhode Island Energy's tariff keeps that option without naming an amount, while Block Island Power charges every new residential account $300, held until the account closes.
Sources: rules.sos.ri.gov, rienergy.com, blockislandpowercompany.com, blockislandpowercompany.com
Do I have to pick an electricity supplier when I move to Rhode Island?
No. If you do nothing, Rhode Island Energy supplies you under Last Resort Service at a PUC-approved pass-through price with no markup, and you can later shop registered competitive suppliers using the state's EmpowerRI comparison site or ask RIE to block supplier switches on your account. If your new town runs an opt-out municipal aggregation plan (Narragansett, Newport, Portsmouth, South Kingstown, Providence, Barrington, Central Falls and North Kingstown as of January 2026), you may be enrolled in the town's contract unless you opt out.
Sources: rienergy.com, rienergy.com, ri.gov, ripuc.ri.gov, ripuc.ri.gov, ripuc.ri.gov
Why does my Rhode Island electric rate change in April and October?
Rhode Island Energy buys Last Resort Service supply through staggered wholesale auctions and resets the residential price twice a year, with a 'summer' rate effective April 1 and a 'winter' rate effective October 1; the winter 2026-27 residential price is 17.029¢/kWh versus 11.09¢ in summer 2026 and 14.770¢ last winter, which RIE estimated adds about $12 a month over last winter for a 500 kWh household. Delivery charges (a $7.47 monthly customer charge plus per-kWh distribution, transmission and program charges) are set separately from the supply price; a new A-16 tariff took effect September 1, 2026 and the delivery-rate summary (RIPUC No. 2095) was updated October 1, 2026.
Sources: rienergy.com, rienergy.com, news.pplweb.com, news.pplweb.com, rienergy.com, rienergy.com
What help is there if I can't afford my electric bill in Rhode Island?
Apply for LIHEAP through your local Community Action agency (income at or below 60% of state median), which also unlocks the Weatherization Assistance Program and Rhode Island Energy's A-60 discount of 25% off the total bill (30% for Medicaid, RI Works or General Public Assistance enrollees). RIE also offers Budget Billing, Customer Advocates and hardship funds (Good Neighbor Energy Fund via United Way 211, Operation HELP), and the PUC's termination rules protect elderly, handicapped, seriously ill, infant-with-hardship and LIHEAP-recipient households during the November 1–May 1 moratorium.
Sources: dhs.ri.gov, dhs.ri.gov, rienergy.com, news.pplweb.com, crewri.org, rules.sos.ri.gov
Researched 2026-10-16 from utility, regulator, and agency pages; every statement links to where it was read. Rules change: confirm deposits and program dates with the utility or agency before you rely on them.
Every state ranked by residential rate, updated weekly: Electricity Rates by State →