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Rhode Island Electricity Prices

Average retail price by sector. Latest data: May 2026.

Residential
29.46¢ /kWh
▲ 1.6%vs. last year
Commercial
25.41¢ /kWh
▲ 7.3%vs. last year
Industrial
22.18¢ /kWh
▼ 0.4%vs. last year

Average monthly bill

Full bill breakdown →
$165per month▼ 0.8% vs. the year before

28.81¢/kWh × 572 kWh a month. Residential revenue divided by residential customers, averaged over the 12 months to May 2026 — the 14th highest among the 50 states and DC.

Compared with the U.S. and neighboring states

Average monthly residential electricity bill, in US dollars
Rhode Island
$165
U.S. average
$155
Connecticut
$203
Massachusetts
$183

Rhode Island is $9 a month above (+5.9%) the U.S. average of $155. Average monthly bill, June 2025 – May 2026.

How Rhode Island makes its electricity

Fuel mix & 10-year trend →Power plants →
Renewable
11.5%
Carbon-free
11.5%
Largest source
Natural gas 87%
Rhode Island electricity generation by source, June 2025 – May 2026
SourceShareGeneration
Natural gas86.6%8,398 GWh
Coal0.0%0 GWh
Nuclear0.0%0 GWh
Wind1.8%176 GWh
Solar7.9%764 GWh
Hydro0.0%1 GWh
Other3.7%354 GWh

9.7 TWh of net generation over the 12 months to May 2026. Generation, not consumption — power crosses state lines.

Rhode Island electricity prices in context

Rhode Island's residential electricity price stands at 29.46¢/kWh as of May 2026, ranking fourth among the most expensive in the nation. This is 11.02¢/kWh above the US average of 18.44¢/kWh, a difference of 59.7%. Neighboring Massachusetts charges 28.82¢/kWh and Connecticut 27.37¢/kWh, both slightly lower than Rhode Island's rate.

The state's price has climbed substantially over longer periods. Since May 2021, the rate has increased 41.6%, from 20.80¢/kWh. Over the past twenty years since May 2006, it has roughly doubled, rising 90.4% from 15.47¢/kWh. Since records began in January 2001, the increase totals 146.3%, from 11.96¢/kWh. The current rate remains below the record high of 35.61¢/kWh set in November 2024, but well above the lowest point of 9.29¢/kWh in March 2002.

The average monthly residential bill is $165 on usage of 572 kWh, compared with the national average bill of $155 on 871 kWh. Despite the high rate, Rhode Island households use considerably less electricity than the national average. Commercial and industrial rates are 25.41¢/kWh and 22.18¢/kWh respectively, both trending with the residential rate upward.

Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.

12-month trend

ResidentialCommercialIndustrial
16¢20¢24¢28¢32¢Jun '25Sep '25Dec '25Feb '26May '26ResidentialCommercialIndustrial

Residential history since 2001

7.2¢15¢22¢30¢38¢Jan '01May '07Sep '13Jan '20May '26
Jan '01
11.96¢
Now
29.46¢
Change
▲ 146.3%
Range
9.29–35.61¢

Recent months

MonthResidentialCommercialIndustrial
May 202629.4625.4122.18
April 202628.3022.3120.75
March 202629.9123.4417.13
February 202629.4524.0620.89
January 202630.1424.8425.66
December 202531.1525.6923.90
November 202530.8222.6322.24
October 202531.1623.0321.42
September 202528.3022.4319.53
August 202526.5222.3120.14
July 202526.1822.2221.31
June 202526.8422.1518.61

Prices in ¢/kWh.

Frequently asked questions

›How much does electricity cost in Rhode Island?
Residential electricity in Rhode Island costs 29.46¢ per kilowatt-hour as of May 2026, the 4th highest rate among the 50 states and DC. Commercial customers pay 25.41¢ and industrial customers 22.18¢ per kilowatt-hour.
›Why is electricity expensive in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island's residential rate of 29.46¢/kWh is +65.2% versus the U.S. average of 17.84¢/kWh. What a household actually pays also depends on how much it uses: the typical Rhode Island home consumes 572 kWh a month against a national average of 871 kWh, which is why its average bill comes to $165.
›Have electricity prices in Rhode Island gone up?
Residential electricity in Rhode Island has moved +146.3% since 2001, reaching 29.46¢/kWh in May 2026. Over the last year alone the change was +1.6%.
›Is electricity cheaper in states neighboring Rhode Island?
Of the states bordering Rhode Island, Massachusetts has the lowest average monthly bill at $183 and Connecticut the highest at $203. Rhode Island averages $165 a month, against a U.S. average of $155.