PROVIDENCE – If Rhode Islanders think their utility bills are high, they now have some added confirmation.
The website www.move.org, which provides consumers with moving tips and guidance, has come out with its latest ranking of utility costs by state and the only states that pay more than Rhode Island aren’t even on the United States mainland – Hawaii and Alaska.
Rhode Islanders pay an average of $522 a month combined for electricity, natural gas, internet, cable, and water, according to the website.
That breaks down to $164 for electricity (No. 9 highest), $141 for natural gas (No. 4 highest) and $77 for internet (No. 2 highest). State-by-state information wasn’t available for cable and water, so national averages of $100 for cable and $40 for water were used for each state.
Living in Hawaii can be very expensive and that includes utilities. Hawaiians pay a monthly average of $731 for utilities – a big difference including extra-high costs for electricity ($300 a month) and natural gas ($232 a month).
Next is Alaska with a monthly average of $527 a month, slightly above Rhode Island. Then comes our neighbor to the west, Connecticut, at $496 a month. New York rounds out the top five at $477 a month.
The state with the least expensive utilities? Idaho at $344 a month.
Scott Blake is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Blake@PBN.com
yup, movin’ to Idaho!