Rhode Island directs $28 million winter electric-bill credit proposal
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee has directed the state’s energy office to seek a $28 million credit for residential electric customers during the winter heating season, responding to a sharp increase in requests for help with energy costs.
Executive Order 26-05 instructs the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources to petition the Public Utilities Commission for a uniform credit applied to residential electric accounts. The proposed relief would be distributed across eligible residential accounts statewide, but it is not yet a credit that customers can see on their bills.
The final amount each household would receive and the date any credit could be applied depend on action by the Public Utilities Commission. The executive order itself does not establish a specific per-account amount.
Energy-assistance calls surged
The order points to a steep increase in calls to United Way of Rhode Island’s 2-1-1 service as evidence of growing pressure on households. The line received more than 5,700 energy-related calls in May and June 2026, according to the order.
That was nearly five times the 1,184 energy-related calls recorded during May and June 2025. The increase came before the winter heating season, when households typically face added heating expenses alongside regular electric bills.
The order also cites broader increases in housing, food, health-care and prescription-drug costs. Those expenses can compete for the same household dollars used to pay utility bills, making energy assistance a concern beyond the price of electricity alone.
What the proposal would do
The proposed credit is designed as a uniform reduction for residential electric accounts rather than a permanent change to utility rates. Its purpose is to reduce winter electric bills for residential customers across Rhode Island.
Because the order directs the Office of Energy Resources to petition the PUC, the commission must still consider the request before the credit can be implemented. The commission’s action will determine whether the plan moves forward and how the available $28 million is reflected on customer accounts.
Customers should not assume that the $28 million figure represents the amount any individual household will receive. A uniform credit would be divided among residential accounts under the terms ultimately approved by the commission, and the executive order does not state the resulting dollar amount per account.
Next step is a utility commission petition
The immediate next step is for the Office of Energy Resources to file its petition with the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission. The commission’s review is necessary before the proposed bill relief can reach customers.
The executive action gives state officials a path to use $28 million for winter electric-bill relief at a time when requests for energy assistance have risen sharply. It does not, by itself, place money on customer accounts or guarantee that the proposed credit will be approved in its current form.
For Rhode Island households, the practical question will be when the PUC acts and what credit structure it approves. Until that decision, the proposal remains a directed request for statewide residential electric-bill relief rather than a finalized customer benefit.
Sources
- Executive Order 26-05, Governor’s Office of Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Government Press Releases, State of Rhode Island
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