New PUC Launches Retail Electric Shopping Website, Rate Board

The Rhode Island PUC has launched an electricity shopping website and rate board, Empower RI ri.gov/empowerri

The rate board offers rates for residential and business customers. Currently, three suppliers are listing residential offers on the site (Best Practice Energy, Town Square Energy, and Viridian Energy), and two suppliers are listing business offers on the site (Best Practice Energy and Town Square Energy)

The default view lists the National Grid SOS rate at the top, with supplier rates listed in ascending order by price. For business customers, the SOS rate listed is for the Commercial SOS class, which includes Small C&I (C-06), General C&I (G-02), and Streetlighting (S-05, S-06, S-10, S-14)

A column lists estimated monthly savings (or additional costs) versus the SOS rate.

Information on a supplier's past rate will also be included on the site.

Listing energy supply products on the rate board is voluntary.

Supplier offers listed on the rate board is limited to fixed price offers, defined as offering a fixed rate (not including introductory price offers) for a period of at least three months. Variable rate offers may not be listed.

For products with an automatic renewal provision, suppliers must identify: (1) the pricing structure that will be in effect during the term of the automatic renewal, and (2) the term (in months) during which the new pricing structure will be in effect. Suppliers must also provide customers with written notice, at least thirty (30) days prior to the effective date of the renewal period, which reminds customers of the automatic renewal provision in their contract and the rate structure that will be in effect during the renewal period