Home Energy Rhode Island Energy proposes higher industrial rates, lower for commercial customers

Rhode Island Energy proposes higher industrial rates, lower for commercial customers

By

Matthew McNulty

-

07/23/2025

Rhode Island Energy President Greg Cornett — RHODE ISLAND ENERGY President Greg Cornett speaks on the utility’s proposed winter rates in Providence on Monday. / COURTESY OF RHODE ISLAND ENERGY

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island Energy Industrial customers may start the upcoming winter season with higher bills compared to a year ago, while commercial rate customers could spend less. On July 21, Rhode Island Energy proposed industrial rates of 13.38 cents per kilowatt-hour for October, 12.98 cents per kilowatt-hour for November and 12.6 cents per kilowatt-hour

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PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island Energy Industrial customers may start the upcoming winter season with higher bills compared to a year ago, while commercial rate customers could spend less. On July 21, Rhode Island Energy proposed industrial rates of 13.38 cents per kilowatt-hour for October, 12.98 cents per kilowatt-hour for November and 12.6 cents per kilowatt-hour for December with the R.I. Public Utilities Commission. The proposed October and November industrial rates are higher than respective rates of 9.4 cents per kilowatt-hour and 10.2 cents per kilowatt-hour from a year ago. However, the proposed December nearly rate is the same as last year's 12.6 cents per kilowatt-hour. Rhode Island Energy typically files its winter industrial rate proposal about 60 days before each segment starts. Proposed rates for January through March 2026 will be filed in October. The Industrial rate peaked at 15.4 cents per kilowatt-hour last season in March. Rhode Island Energy implements staggered monthly rate changes for industrial customers – typically from October through December – as a result of how it procures electricity for the winter season and passes those wholesale costs through to the utility’s “Last Resort Service” customers. The staggered monthly industrial rate changes in October – December are legally required by the Public Utilities Commission and are direct reflections of wholesale electricity procurement costs, according to Rhode Island Energy. Rhode Island Energy commercial variable rate customers could see lower bills than last year, according to the rates filed with the PUC. Rhode Island Energy is proposing 10.3 cents per kilowatt-hour for Oct., 12.1 cents per kilowatt-hour for November, 15.7 cents per kilowatt-hour for December, 19.3 cents per kilowatt-hour for January, 17.3 cents per kilowatt-hour for February and 12.9 cents per kilowatt-hour for March. The proposed variable rates are lower from the 2024 rates which started at 11.6 cents per kilowatt-hour in October and peaked at 20.1 cents per kilowatt-hour in January. The company is proposing 14.6 cents per kilowatt-hour to fixed rate customers, a drop from 15.9 per kilowatt-hour last season. On July 21, the state's main utility proposed a residential rate of 14.77 cents per kilowatt-hour this winter, 9% less than last season, with the Public Utilities Commission for the company’s Last Resort Service customers. The Public Utilities Commission traditionally approves winter electric rates in late September, just before the new winter season starts on Oct. 1. Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.