Skip to main content
RIELogo
Smiling woman looking at laptop

Rates and Shopping

Shopping for your electricity supply

Rhode Island Energy will reliably deliver electricity to your home or business, no matter who supplies it. We encourage you to take control of your energy costs by shopping for the best electricity supply option.

Utility bill sitting on table with lightbulb and calculator

Electric supply and delivery explained

Rhode Island Energy delivers electricity to your home, but we don’t own or operate the power plants that generate it. Independent electric suppliers handle that part of the process, giving you the choice to shop for your electricity supply.

As a result, your Rhode Island Energy bill separates services into two categories:

  • Supply Services: The electricity you use, which you can buy from a competitive supplier or from Rhode Island Energy at the Last Resort Service rate.
  • Delivery Services: The service Rhode Island Energy provides to ensure electricity reaches your home, including maintaining poles, wires, and meters.

Learn more about our Last Resort Service rate.

Shop to compare

When shopping for a competitive electricity supply option, 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.

When comparing suppliers, keep in mind some offer variable rates that can start low but may increase depending on market prices.

Review delivery service rate options

Steps to choosing your supplier

Customer sitting at a table reviewing their utility bill for rates
Step 1

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.

Happy young couple working on their laptop at home
Step 2

Explore supplier rates

Check rates from competitive energy suppliers. See our energy supplier list for contact information.

A man with a thoughtful expression on his face looks up, placing his hand on his chin.
Step 3

Ask the right questions

Before selecting a supplier, ask them: How long is the contract term? Are there minimum bill amounts? Will I pay a fixed or variable rate? Are there any early termination fees?

Additional shopping options

Smiling woman changing light bulb

Last Resort Service

Become a Last Resort Service customer to get competitive prices on electricity.

Male engineers shaking hands with customer

Supplier for RIE customers

Select from a list of energy suppliers who are authorized to supply energy in your area.

Solar panels and windmill power plant

GreenUp program

Learn about electricity generated from renewable resources and enroll in a GreenUp program.

Fraud and deceptive marketing

Learn how to protect yourself by reviewing our fraud and deceptive marketing best practices.

Review fraud prevention tips