Wednesday, October 1, 2025

City’s Default Electricity Option Winter Rate to Begin at 14.690 ¢/kWh This November 

Today, the City of Providence announced the new winter supply rates for the Providence Community Electricity (PCE) program, starting with the November 2025 meter read. The program’s winter pricing for the default electricity option is 10% less than last winter and will still offer cleaner electricity and cost savings compared to RI Energy’s Last Resort Service. The new rates will be fixed for six months, through customers’ May 2026 meter read. Current participants do not need to take any action to remain in the program and receive the new pricing for the product in which they are currently enrolled.

“As we confront the challenges of climate change, my Administration is committed to making Providence more sustainable and resilient for our neighbors,” said Mayor Brett P. Smiley. “With the Providence Community Electricity Program, we are not only providing affordable, renewable energy, but also helping our neighbors better manage their electricity costs. This program plays a crucial role in our ongoing efforts to build a cleaner, greener Providence, ensuring that everyone benefits from lower energy costs and a reduced carbon footprint.”

The City is pleased to have delivered on the program’s goals of offering residents and businesses cleaner electricity, at affordable prices. The program’s residential prices for the default product remains lower than RI Energy’s Last Resort Service prices, while adding 5% additional renewable energy. The additional renewable energy is sourced entirely from local Rhode Island projects, including the Narragansett Bay Commission wind turbines at Fields Point in Providence, solar in West Greenwich and additional wind turbines in Coventry.

The table below shows the prices for Residential customers compared to RI Energy. Prices for Commercial and Industrial customers can be found on the program website: Electricity.ProvidenceRI.gov.

Providence is part of a group of seven municipalities who shared in launching the first municipal aggregation programs in Rhode Island. Barrington, Central Falls, Narragansett, Newport, Portsmouth, Providence and South Kingstown are all working with Good Energy as their consultant and share a common electricity supplier and pricing.

The voluntary renewable energy content in the program’s standard and optional products comes from projects that qualify as RI New and makes a sizable impact on the City’s carbon footprint. Providence participants annually purchase more than 20,323 megawatt-hours of voluntary renewable energy, equivalent to displacing over 14.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

This is a City-operated program open to all Providence residents and businesses. To join, complete the enrollment form on the program website: Electricity.ProvidenceRI.gov or call the program’s supplier, NextEra Energy Services Rhode Island, at (888) 387-1084. Participants may leave the program at any time without fees or penalties. Visit the program website to review all program options available and to submit any questions via the program contact form: Electricity.ProvidenceRI.gov.

Winter energy rates are typically higher than summer rates. The following programs may help you manage the cost of your energy bills:

• Low-Income Discount Rates: Rhode Island Energy customers who are currently enrolled in certain government assistance programs, like SNAP or Medicaid, qualify for either a 25% or 30% discount on their monthly RIE bills. Learn more here.
• LIHEAP: The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) offers cost assistance to eligible Providence residents for home heating. Learn more here.
• Weatherization Assistance Program: LIHEAP recipients may also be eligible for home weatherization improvements including insulation. Learn more here.
• Energy efficiency programs: Rhode Island Energy offers a variety of energy efficiency rebates, incentives, and services for residents, listed here. There are also a variety of incentives to convert your heating and cooling to high efficiency heat pumps, listed here.
• RI Energy Home Energy Assessment: Schedule a no-cost home energy assessment to understand energy-saving opportunities. An energy specialist will assess your energy use, develop a plan to make your home more energy-efficient, and identify available rebates and incentives to make the improvements. Schedule an assessment here.
• Budget Billing: Rhode Island Energy’s Budget Billing program averages your annual energy costs into 12 equal monthly payments, making it easier to manage expenses during high-usage months like winter and summer. Learn more here.

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