State electricity profile · 2024
Rhode Island Electricity
Rhode Island's residential electricity rate is 28.65¢/kWh, 73.8% above the US average. Keep scrolling for the commercial and industrial breakdown and generation mix, per EIA filings.
- 28.65¢/kWh
- Residential rate
- +73.8%
- vs US average
- 11%
- Renewable
- 457.4K
- Customers
Verify with EIA → · Methodology
The verdict · 2024
Rhode Island's residential electricity runs 28.65¢/kWh - 73.8% above the 16.48¢/kWh national average, pricier than 92% of states, with 11% of its power from renewables.
Rate is the EIA state average across all 457.4K residential customers, a benchmark for comparing states, not the rate on any single bill. Source: EIA Form-861.
What Rhode Island's Electricity Data Tells Us
The going residential rate in Rhode Island is 28.65¢/kWh, based on 2024 EIA filings, billed to 457.4K metered households statewide, versus a national residential average of 16.48¢/kWh, a difference of 73.8% above. On the commercial side, the rate is 21.09¢/kWh, and industrial power costs 19.70¢/kWh, reflecting the cost differentials that come from voltage level, load factor, and contract length across EIA Form-861 survey respondents. 3.1M MWh moved through residential meters over the year, generating about $891.4M in utility revenue, a useful yardstick for sizing local demand against the grid mix that serves it.
natural gas dominates Rhode Island's generation mix, supplying 89.1% of in-state production, with a secondary role played by solar at 8.9%, and wind rounding out the top three at 1.8%. Tally solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass together and renewables reach 10.8% of Rhode Island's generation, a figure that matters because each renewable megawatt-hour displaces fuel costs that otherwise flow through to retail bills. Expansion headroom remains: cost curves for wind and solar have fallen faster than fossil alternatives for most of the last decade.
Looking back across EIA records, residential prices in Rhode Island moved from 18.62¢/kWh in 2016 to 28.65¢/kWh in 2024, a 53.9% shift over that window. Looking for peers at a similar rate? Connecticut, Massachusetts, California are close matches. For anyone negotiating a supplier contract, weighing an energy-efficiency upgrade, or modeling a household budget, the combination of current rate, multi-year trend, and generation mix offers a sturdier footing than any single data point on its own.
+73.8%
vs the US residential average
8%
of states have higher residential rates
11%
renewable share, below the US mix
457.4K
residential customers served
How Rhode Island compares
Cents per kWh, EIA Form 861. Pick a benchmark above to compare Rhode Island against the US average or a peer state.
Residential Price History
| Year | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 28.65¢/kWh | +6.0% |
| 2023 | 27.02¢/kWh | +16.4% |
| 2022 | 23.21¢/kWh | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 22.30¢/kWh | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 22.01¢/kWh | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 21.73¢/kWh | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 20.55¢/kWh | +12.2% |
| 2017 | 18.32¢/kWh | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 18.62¢/kWh | - |
Energy Generation Mix
How Rhode Island generates its electricity. Renewable sources account for 10.8% of generation.
- Natural Gas89.1%
- Solarrenewable8.9%
- Windrenewable1.8%
- Petroleum0.1%
Market Overview
Residential Revenue
$891.4M
Commercial Revenue
$773.3M
Residential Sales
3.1M MWh
Residential Customers
457.4K
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does electricity cost in Rhode Island? ▼
How much of Rhode Island's electricity is renewable? ▼
Are electricity prices going up in Rhode Island? ▼
What are commercial and industrial electricity rates in Rhode Island? ▼
What is the cheapest energy source in Rhode Island? ▼
Where does RateWatt's Rhode Island electricity data come from? ▼
States with Similar Electricity Prices
Using Rhode Island's numbers
This is the state average, use it as a benchmark, not a quote for your address.
- Rhode Island sits 73.8% above the national average, see exactly where it lands among all 50 states. See the rankings
- Check the multi-year trend before you judge the rate, a low price rising fast can cost more over a decade than a steady one. Rhode Island price trend
- Compare Rhode Island side by side with the US average and peer states using the tool above, then estimate your own bill from your monthly kWh. Cost calculator
Figures are EIA state averages by sector. Your actual rate depends on your utility, plan, and usage, see our disclaimer.
Energy Guides
Understanding Electricity Rates
What ¢/kWh means and how your bill is calculated
Why Prices Vary by State
Generation mix, regulation, and geography
US Energy Sources Explained
How each fuel source powers the grid
Renewable vs Fossil Fuel Costs
LCOE comparison and the cost crossover
Cheapest States for Electricity
Which states pay the least and why
Primary source data for Rhode Island
Every figure on this page traces to these official federal datasets.
- 📊 EIA State Energy Profile, Rhode Island State energy database
- ⚡ EIA Electric Power Monthly Generation and price statistics
- 🌿 EPA eGRID Power-grid emissions database
- ☀️ NREL solar resource maps Solar potential by location
- 💨 NREL wind resource maps Wind potential by location
- ⚛️ NRC reactor data Nuclear operating status
- ⚡ FERC market data Transmission and market prices
- 🏛️ NARUC commissions State public utility commissions
- 📖 EIA energy mapping system Interactive federal energy map
Related
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on RateWatt is rendered directly from official U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, no number is typed in by an editor. State prices and generation mix are pulled directly from the EIA's published tables for this state. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15.