Residential rates by utility (EIA-861, average all-in ¢/kWh)
| Utility | 2023 ¢/kWh | 2024 ¢/kWh | Customers (2024) | Ownership | vs state avg, $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Narragansett Electric Co | 27.19 | 28.26 | 332,540 | Investor-owned | +$21 |
Average price = residential revenue ÷ residential sales from each utility's federal EIA-861 filing (bundled service — supply + delivery + riders, not a quoted tariff rate). State average = 28.07¢/kWh, volume-weighted across these utilities (2024). Your distribution utility is fixed by address; these gaps measure what households in different territories actually paid. A further 18 competitive suppliers / solar lessors report energy-only or behind-the-meter sales in Rhode Island; their prices cover only part of the bill and are not comparable to the all-in figures above.
Can you choose your electric company in Rhode Island?
Electric supply choice: yes · Gas supply choice: no
Electric choice (last-resort service = price-to-compare). No residential gas choice.
How to switch suppliers in Rhode Island (3 steps)
- Find the price to compare (default supply rate) on your utility bill — you only save when an offer beats it for the same period.
- Compare licensed supplier offers on the state's official shopping site: ripuc.ri.gov. Check term, early-exit fees, and whether the rate is fixed or variable.
- Sign up with the supplier — they handle the switch. Your utility still delivers the power, owns the wires, and responds to outages; only the supply line of the bill changes.
Heating: which fuel is cheapest per million BTU in Rhode Island?
| Fuel | Native price | As of | $ per MMBTU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility natural gas | $1.832 /therm | Feb 2026 | 18.32 |
| Propane | $3.757 /gal | Mar 30, 2026 | 41.08 |
| Heating oil (No. 2) | $5.802 /gal | Mar 30, 2026 | 41.89 |
| Electricity (resistance) | 29.45 ¢/kWh | Feb 2026 | 86.31 |
Utility natural gas is the cheapest heating fuel in Rhode Island at $18.32/MMBTU — heating oil costs 2.3× as much per BTU. Conversions: 1 kWh = 3,412 BTU; 1 therm = 100,000 BTU; heating oil 138,500 BTU/gal; propane 91,452 BTU/gal. Site-energy prices — appliance efficiency changes delivered-heat cost: a 95% AFUE gas furnace delivers heat near the gas figure, while a heat pump at seasonal COP 2.5–3 cuts the effective electric figure by 60–70%.
Electricity price trend, last 12 months
Rhode Island's average residential price went from 33.29¢/kWh in Feb '25 to 29.45¢/kWh in Feb '26 — down 12% year-over-year. The 12-month peak was 33.29¢ in Feb '25.
| Month | Feb '25 | Mar '25 | Apr '25 | May '25 | Jun '25 | Jul '25 | Aug '25 | Sep '25 | Oct '25 | Nov '25 | Dec '25 | Jan '26 | Feb '26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¢/kWh | 33.29 | 32.30 | 28.89 | 29.00 | 26.84 | 26.18 | 26.52 | 28.30 | 31.16 | 30.82 | 31.15 | 30.14 | 29.45 |
Questions people ask
- Who has the cheapest electricity in Rhode Island?
- The Narragansett Electric Co is Rhode Island's dominant utility, at an average 28.3 cents per kWh in 2024 (EIA-861). Smaller municipal and cooperative utilities serve the rest of the state.
- Can I choose my electric company in Rhode Island?
- You cannot choose the utility that delivers power — that is set by your address. Rhode Island does allow residential supply choice: you may buy the supply portion from a licensed competitive supplier if it beats your utility's price to compare. The official shopping site is ripuc.ri.gov.
- Is gas or electric heat cheaper in Rhode Island?
- Per million BTU of site energy, utility natural gas was $18.32 (Feb 2026) versus $86.31 for electric resistance heat, $41.89 for heating oil. A heat pump delivering 2.5-3 units of heat per unit of electricity brings electric heating to roughly $29-35 per MMBTU.
- What is the average electric bill in Rhode Island?
- At Rhode Island's February 2026 average price of 29.45 cents/kWh and typical usage of 900 kWh per month, a household pays about $265 per month ($3181 per year) for electricity. Actual bills vary with usage, utility territory, and tariff.