Rhode Island electricity rates
As of May 2026, the average residential electricity rate in Rhode Island is 29.46 cents per kilowatt-hour, 59.8% above the U.S. average of 18.44¢. That is the 4th highest rate of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
- Year over year
- ▲ +1.6% from 29.00¢ in May 2025
- Vs. U.S. average
- +59.8% U.S. average 18.44¢
- National rank
- #4 of 51 · #48 cheapest
- Supply market
- ISO New England Retail choice statewide
Why Rhode Island pays what it pays
Rhode Island is small enough to function as one distribution territory, and it generates little of its own power from anything other than natural gas. That combination gives it very little insulation. When ISO New England's marginal price rises, Rhode Island's Last Resort Service price follows at the next procurement.
The state has been an early and aggressive offshore-wind buyer. Block Island was the first commercial offshore wind farm in the country, and the contracts signed for those projects sit in rates. They are small in absolute terms, but they are visible in a state with a small ratepayer base.
Where Rhode Island power comes from
Rhode Island generated 10 TWh in 2025, the 46th largest output of any state. Natural gas supplied 87.5% of it, enough that the price of that fuel largely sets the price of electricity here. Renewables accounted for 9.9%, against 23.8% nationally, which ranks Rhode Island #39 of 51.
- Natural gas 87.5% 8 TWh
- Solar 7.9% 759 GWh
- Wind 1.9% 185 GWh
- Petroleum 0.7% 67 GWh
- Other 2% 187 GWh
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Operational Data, net generation, all sectors. Net generation across all sectors. Nuclear counts as carbon-free but not renewable, so the two shares differ.
How Rhode Island compares
Rhode Island ranks #4 of 51 jurisdictions by residential price, making it the 48th cheapest. Within the New England division, every other state is cheaper.
| State | ¢/kWh | YoY | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 24.89 | +4.8% | #11 |
| New Hampshire | 27.33 | +13.8% | #9 |
| Connecticut | 27.37 | -13.4% | #8 |
| Maine | 28.63 | +2.6% | #6 |
| Massachusetts | 28.82 | -3.6% | #5 |
| Rhode Island | 29.46 | +1.6% | #4 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State. Data period May 2026. Retrieved 2026-08-19.
What Rhode Island households actually pay
Rhode Island looks cheaper on paper than it is in practice. It has the 48th cheapest rate in the country but only the 14th highest bill from the bottom, because households there use 572 kWh a month against a national average of 871. See how every state compares on bills.
Estimate your Rhode Island bill
Multiply your own usage by the May 2026 state average. Enter the kilowatt-hours from your last statement. This is a supply-and-delivery blended average, not a utility quote.
Rate used: …. U.S. average 18.44¢/kWh, May 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
Heating in Rhode Island: gas, heat pump or resistance
Residential natural gas in Rhode Island averaged $21.66 per thousand cubic feet in 2024, about $2.09 per therm, against a national average of $14.50. Put on the same scale as the state's electricity rate, the cost of delivering one million BTU of heat works out as follows.
In Rhode Island, gas remains cheaper to run than a heat pump by about $5.57 per million BTU at these assumptions, roughly $334 over a 60 million BTU season. A heat pump can still be the better purchase once cooling, equipment age and incentives are counted, but not on heating cost alone.
Gas price: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Prices, price delivered to residential consumers, 2024. Assumptions are adjustable in the heating cost guide, and every state is compared on the gas price page.
What each Rhode Island utility charges
The statewide average hides a wide spread. Across the 5 Rhode Island utilities reporting to the EIA, rates run from 16.52¢ at Pascoag Utility District to 39.66¢ at Block Island Utility District . Together they serve 344,040 residential customers.
| Utility | ¢/kWh | Bill | kWh | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Narragansett Electric Co | 28.26 | $162 | 574 | 332,540 |
| Pascoag Utility District | 16.52 | $113 | 686 | 4,373 |
| Sunrun Inc. | 26.92 | $157 | 584 | 3,252 |
| Sunnova | 22.75 | $139 | 610 | 2,246 |
| Block Island Utility District | 39.66 | $154 | 388 | 1,629 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 annual electric power industry report, 2024.
Who sells electricity in Rhode Island
Rhode Island Energy, which acquired National Grid's Rhode Island business, is effectively the state's only electric distribution utility. Retail choice exists on paper for residential customers, but the competitive supplier market here is thin and the great majority of households remain on Last Resort Service.
Supply prices are set twice a year through a regulator-approved procurement, so the residential rate typically changes in two visible steps.
Rhode Island sits in New England. Six states sharing one constrained gas pipeline network, which sets the winter price for all of them. Read the regional analysis.
What you can actually do about it
Because the supplier market is thin, the practical levers are the same as Vermont's: usage and equipment. Rhode Island Energy's income-eligible discount rate is materially larger than most states' equivalents and is badly under-claimed.
Watch the October and April procurement filings at the Public Utilities Commission. They publish the next six months' supply price before it appears on a bill, which is enough notice to shift discretionary usage.
Closest states by price
These jurisdictions charge within a fraction of a cent of Rhode Island, which is useful if you are comparing a move or a multi-state operating cost.
Rhode Island electricity rates: common questions
What is the average electricity rate in Rhode Island?
The average residential electricity rate in Rhode Island is 29.46 cents per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is +59.8% relative to the national average of 18.44¢/kWh.
How much is the average monthly electric bill in Rhode Island?
The average Rhode Island household paid $165 a month across the twelve months to May 2026, using an average of 572 kWh. That is +5.9% against the U.S. average bill of $155, and it ranks 14th highest of the 51 jurisdictions. Your own bill depends on the size of your home, your heating and cooling equipment and your rate schedule.
Why is the Rhode Island bill ranking different from its rate ranking?
A bill is the rate multiplied by usage, and usage varies between states more than price does. Rhode Island ranks #4 of 51 on price but 14th on the actual bill, because households there use about 572 kWh a month against a national average of 871. Climate and heating fuel drive most of that difference.
Have electricity rates in Rhode Island gone up?
Rhode Island rates rose 1.6% over the year to May 2026, from 29.00¢ in May 2025 to 29.46¢.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Rhode Island?
Retail choice statewide. Residential customers in Rhode Island can buy supply from a competitive provider while the local utility continues to deliver it and maintain the wires.