Rates and Shopping
Shopping for your energy supply
At Rhode Island Energy, we deliver electricity and natural gas to your home or business. However, we don't own or operate the power plants that generate electricity or the facilities that supply natural gas. Energy suppliers handle that part of the process. In Rhode Island, electric and commercial gas customers can shop for suppliers based on several factors or automatically pay the Last Resort Service rate.
Shop to compare
Shop and compare energy suppliers to take control of your energy costs. You can save money by reducing your electricity consumption and purchasing your electric supply from the seller of your choice.
If you choose to shop, beware of variable rates, which start small and then increase depending on the power price.
Electric supply and delivery
Rhode Island Energy separates your bill into two services: supply and delivery. Supply Services is the portion of your electric service for which you can shop for your electricity from a supplier other than Rhode Island Energy. These suppliers, often referred to as competitive suppliers, can be companies that produce or generate electricity or are brokers that buy electricity in the wholesale market and sell it to residents and businesses.
Rhode Island Energy is a delivery company, which means we will deliver electricity to you regardless of your choice of supplier. We encourage you to shop and compare the prices of competitive suppliers.
Choosing your supplier
Know your current rate
Check your bill or look at the supplier details on your account summary to learn what rate you’re paying for Supplier Service.
Explore supplier rates
Obtain rates from energy suppliers. Contact information for participating Energy Suppliers can be found on our energy supplier list.
Know what to ask
Before choosing a supplier, ask: How long is the contract term? Are there minimum bill amounts? Will I be charged a fixed or variable rate? Are there any early termination fees?
Calculate your savings
Compare prices by subtracting your current supply costs from the energy supplier’s supply costs. To estimate your monthly savings, multiply your cost difference by your monthly kWh/therms from a recent bill. Energy usage can vary significantly from month to month, so this estimate will apply only to the month you have chosen for your example.
Shopping options
Last Resort Service
Become a Last Resort Service customer to get competitive prices on electricity.
Suppliers for RIE customers
Select from a list of energy suppliers who are authorized to supply energy in your area.
GreenUp program
Learn about electricity generated from renewable resources and enroll in a GreenUp program.