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RI · Rhode Island

One utility, one stack, one set of rules.

Rhode Island is the cleanest utility geography in New England. Where Massachusetts splits between Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil, Rhode Island Energy serves roughly 99% of the state on its own (Block Island Power covers the offshore community). That single-IOU structure means one rebate schedule, one net-metering rule, one ConnectedSolutions enrollment portal. Layer Clean Heat RI and the REG Program on top, and the math gets unusually clean for homeowners.

RI · Utilities
A coastal Rhode Island neighborhood at dusk: modest New England capes and shingled cottages a few blocks from Narragansett Bay, distribution lines and pole transformers visible along the street under soft blue-hour light
~$0.29/kWh
Avg residential electric rate
$0.2723/kWh
REG Program ceiling, 15-yr lock
$400/kW
ConnectedSolutions battery, legacy enrollees
The one most homeowners miss

Rhode Island's Renewable Energy Growth Program pays $0.2723/kWh for every kWh you produce, locked 15 years.

REG is the "buy-all" alternative to net metering: the homeowner exports 100% of solar production to the grid at the REG ceiling rate and buys all household consumption back at retail. For systems built after April 15, 2023 (when net metering dropped to 80% of retail), REG often beats net metering on lifetime value, especially as RI Energy retail rates climb. Enrollment is competitive against an annual Program Year cap; the 2026 ceiling for residential systems at or under 25 kW is fixed for the full 15-year contract.

Coverage at a glance

Who offers what.

A read across the state. Each cell shows the program count by category. The ★ marks utilities with a flagship or unique program in that category, the ones worth a closer look.

Utility Heat pumpsSolarStorageInsulationWindows
Rhode Island Energy5★3★1★1
Utility · 1 of 1

Rhode Island Energy (formerly National Grid RI)

Rhode Island Energy is the state's sole investor-owned electric utility, serving roughly 510,000 customers across nearly all of Rhode Island. Block Island Power Company covers the offshore community of New Shoreham; everywhere else in the state, RI Energy is the only IOU on the meter. Acquired from National Grid by PPL Corporation in May 2022, RI Energy now runs every residential rebate, ConnectedSolutions enrollment, and net-metering tariff in the state.

Heat pumps · 4 programs
Clean Heat RIFlagship
60% up to $11,500 · 100% up to $18,000 IE
State-administered program layered on top of RI Energy rebates. Standard-income households receive up to $11,500 in direct rebate. Income-eligible households (at or below 150% State Median Income) receive full project coverage up to $18,000. Originally ARPA-funded; current funding allocated and continuing under RGGI through Dec 31, 2026.
Clean Heat RI program page →
RI Energy Heat Pump Rebate (electric resistance replacement)
Up to $1,250/ton
RI Energy's standard residential rebate when the heat pump replaces electric resistance heat (baseboards, electric furnace). Stackable with Clean Heat RI subject to program-by-program caps. Submitted via the RI Energy residential heating-cooling rebate form after install.
RI Energy residential rebates →
RI Energy Heat Pump Rebate (gas/oil/propane replacement)
Up to $400/ton
Standard rebate when the heat pump replaces a fossil-fueled primary heat source. Lower than the electric-resistance rebate because the customer is moving from a non-RI-Energy fuel; Clean Heat RI typically does the heavier lift in this scenario.
RI Energy residential rebates →
HEAR Program (federal Home Electrification & Appliance Rebate)
$8,000 low-income
Federal HEAR program in active deployment in Rhode Island since September 2024. Up to $8,000 for income-eligible households for a qualifying heat pump install, stackable with Clean Heat RI subject to combined-cap rules.
Clean Heat RI / HEAR landing →
Discounted heat pump electric tariff
Not yet offered
RI Energy does not currently file a heat-pump-specific seasonal rate analogous to Eversource MA's R-1HP/R-2HP (as of May 2026). Installer should monitor PUC docket activity; equivalent tariffs typically appear within 12 to 18 months of a peer utility launch. [NEEDS RESEARCH if anything filed Q3-Q4 2026]
RI Energy rate tariffs →
Solar · 3 programs
Renewable Energy Growth (REG) ProgramFlagship
$0.2723/kWh · 15-yr lock
RI's "buy-all" alternative to net metering. Homeowner exports 100% of production to the grid at the REG ceiling rate and buys all consumption back at retail. The 2026 Program Year ceiling for residential systems at or under 25 kW is fixed for the full 15-year contract. Often outperforms net metering for installs after April 15, 2023.
REG Program 2026 guide →
Net Metering (post-April 15, 2023 systems)
~$0.232/kWh · 80% of retail
For systems interconnected after April 15, 2023, the net-metering credit is 80% of retail rate, with a 125% annual production cap. Pre-April-2023 systems are grandfathered at full 1:1 retail. Program structure protected through 2039. For most current installs, REG produces a higher lifetime credit value.
RI net metering guide 2026 →
Renewable Energy Fund (REF) Rebate
$0.65/W · cap $5,000 + $2,000 battery adder
Upfront cash rebate from the RI Commerce Renewable Energy Fund: $0.65 per installed watt, capped at $5,000 per residential project. A separate $2,000 adder is available when storage is paired at install. REF is administered separately from RI Energy but stacks cleanly with REG or net metering.
REF Rebate guide 2026 →
Energy storage · 1 program
ConnectedSolutions Battery Demand ResponseFlagship
$400/kW legacy · $225/kW new
Summer event payment of $400/kW for participants who enrolled before June 1, 2024 (locked for 5 consecutive seasons). New enrollees post-June 2024 receive $225/kW. Program runs 2024 through 2026, subject to PUC review for any post-2026 continuation. Enrollment via the RI Energy battery program portal after commissioning.
RI Energy ConnectedSolutions battery →
Insulation & weatherization · 1 program
EnergyWise RI Insulation & Air Sealing
Majority covered by income tier
Statewide RI Energy weatherization program, similar in spirit to MassSave. Covers the majority of insulation and air-sealing costs, scaled by income tier (no-cost for income-eligible households). Pre-weatherization barrier removal (knob-and-tube, mold remediation) typically covered separately. Often a prerequisite for the Clean Heat RI whole-home heat pump rebate.
EnergyWise RI program page →
Windows & doors · no utility rebate
No utility rebate available
RI Energy does not offer a windows/doors rebate. The federal 25C credit (up to $600/year for windows) expired Dec 31, 2025 with no utility replacement program. Inherent ROI (utility savings, comfort, resale value) is the case for the upgrade.
A wide horizontal shot of a Rhode Island shoreline neighborhood at peak utility load hour: late afternoon to early evening, lights coming on inside houses, distribution poles and a pole-mounted transformer in frame, hint of Narragansett Bay in the distance

Rhode Island Energy serves ~99% of Rhode Island homes; Block Island Power covers the offshore community.

Want the math run for your specific RI address?

Your Home Efficiency Score figures out which programs you qualify for, whether REG or net metering wins on your roof, and what your full stack looks like, state programs plus utility extras, for your zip code, your bill, your fuel.

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