Electric disconnections in Rhode Island, 2024
Rhode Island ranks 50th of 51, 1st being the highest rate. The Rhode Island total is 6,954 disconnections on about 458,385 accounts, 7.9 per 100 below the U.S. rate of 9.4. It also counts 270,550 final-notice events. Events, not homes: an account cut off twice counts twice.
Rhode Island month by month
Rhode Island: July peaked at 2,007 disconnections, February bottomed at 0. Per 100 Rhode Island accounts the monthly rate ran from 0.00 (February) to 0.44 (July). Rhode Island averaged 0.00 a month in December to February and 0.29 in June to August: summer ran 663.5 times winter.
Rhode Island disconnections per month, 2024
- 6Jan
- 0Feb
- 16Mar
- 1,337Apr
- 1,579May
- 1,927Jun
- 2,007Jul
- 20Aug
- 32Sep
- 30Oct
- 0Nov
- 0Dec
| Month | Rhode Island final notices | Rhode Island disconnections | Rhode Island reconnections | Rhode Island accounts | Rhode Island per 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38,250 | 6 | 6 | 457,839 | 0.00 |
| February | 29,205 | 0 | 0 | 458,088 | 0.00 |
| March | 31,312 | 16 | 16 | 458,693 | 0.00 |
| April | 48,559 | 1,337 | 1,133 | 458,839 | 0.29 |
| May | 47,517 | 1,579 | 1,380 | 458,672 | 0.34 |
| June | 37,653 | 1,927 | 1,698 | 458,231 | 0.42 |
| July | 35,770 | 2,007 | 1,779 | 458,581 | 0.44 |
| August | 740 | 20 | 18 | 458,224 | 0.00 |
| September | 779 | 32 | 31 | 458,307 | 0.01 |
| October | 493 | 30 | 27 | 458,217 | 0.01 |
| November | 94 | 0 | 0 | 458,471 | 0.00 |
| December | 178 | 0 | 0 | 458,460 | 0.00 |
| Year | 270,550 | 6,954 | 6,088 | 458,385 (mean) | 1.52 (yearly) |
Scale Rhode Island to your town
Statewide rate for Rhode Island: 1.52 per 100. A single utility can sit far from it.
Rhode Island utilities that reported
Rhode Island: 3 utilities reported. They sum to 6,954 of the 6,954 disconnections in the state total; The Narragansett Electric Co alone reported 6,746 (97%).
No Rhode Island utility has 5,000+ accounts with twelve months of data, so none is ranked on the utilities page.
| Rhode Island utility | Disconnections | Avg accounts | Per 100 | Final notices | Reconnections | Months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Narragansett Electric Co | at least 6,746 (4 months) | Not published | No rate | Not published | Not published | 4 of 12 |
| Pascoag Utility District | 196 | 4,373 | 4.5 | 5,506 | 185 | 12 of 12 |
| Block Island Utility District | 12 | 1,629 | 0.7 | 248 | 12 | 12 of 12 |
Rhode Island against its neighbours
Rhode Island sits in the New England division. Its 5 division peers average 3.5 per 100; the highest is Maine at 5.2 and the lowest Massachusetts at 1.9. Rhode Island is 2.0 below the division average.
| Rhode Island borders | Rank of 51 | Per 100 | Gap to Rhode Island | Times Rhode Island | Final notices per 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 31st | 4.3 | +2.8 | 2.83x | 27.1 |
| Massachusetts | 48th | 1.9 | +0.3 | 1.22x | 39.6 |
Closest in the ranking to Rhode Island: Massachusetts 1.9, Montana 1.8, Wyoming 1.2.
How firm the Rhode Island number is
Rhode Island response rate: 100.0% weighted by size, 100.0% by count. Utilities reported 6,954; EIA's adjustment is +0 (+0.0% of 6,954). Largest monthly relative standard error, Rhode Island: 0.0%. EIA flags no Rhode Island month. Flag codes and method.
Shutoff rule read for Rhode Island
| Rhode Island rule | What the text says |
|---|---|
| Cold weather | Moratorium period Nov 1 to May 1 (amended to May 1 effective 6/23/2025). During it, no gas/electric utility may terminate residence where service is primary heat source unless delinquent balance exceeds $500 (or $200 if not primary heat); Protected Status Customers cannot be terminated at all in that period. |
| Hot weather | Summer moratorium (1.17(F)): no termination of any residential customer for nonpayment on days NWS has issued a heat advisory or excessive heat warning for Rhode Island. |
| Protected customers | Protected Status: unemployed (receiving unemployment compensation), elderly or handicapped, LIHEAP recipients, seriously ill, or household with child under 2 and financial hardship. Seriously ill with physician certification: no disconnection; termination date not less than 3 weeks from receipt of written certification. Elderly (all adults 62+) or handicapped households need Division approval to terminate. |
| Notice before disconnection | Written notice mailed to be received at least 10 days before disconnection; no disconnection Fri/Sat/Sun, legal holidays or day before, or outside 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Notice must state ground, date, utility contact, right to Division review (1.5, 1.6). |
| Payment plans | Utilities must offer a 10- or 12-month budget payment plan and inform customers; customer may instead settle balance over up to 6 months with minimum $25/month; detailed deferred plans in 1.10 (not read in full). |
| Complaints | Reviewing Officer, Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, 89 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick RI (rule notice text gives 780-9700 / sample (401) 780-9700); hearing available. |
Read: 810-RICR-10-00-1 (Rules and Regulations Governing the Termination of Residential Electric, Gas and Water Service), esp. 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.9, 1.17(F), checked 2026-10-02. 1.3(A): all individuals, partnerships, associations, corporations, municipalities and cooperatives under PUC jurisdiction that operate electric, gas or water utilities in RI; residential customers only.
Not legal advice; check your Rhode Island notice.
Help in Rhode Island
Rhode Island LIHEAP eligibility as listed: 60% State Median Income.
Rhode Island benefits as listed: Heating: $50 minimum, $861 maximum Winter Crisis: $1,500 maximum.
What this means for you in Rhode Island
- Rhode Island had 270,550 final notices and 6,954 disconnections: 3 disconnections per 100 notices. A notice is not a disconnection.
- Rhode Island reconnections ran at 88 per 100 disconnections. The data give no time to restore.
- Cold-weather rule in Rhode Island, as we read it: Moratorium period Nov 1 to May 1 (amended to May 1 effective 6/23/2025). During it, no gas/electric utility may terminate residence where service is primary heat source unless delinquent balance exceeds $500 (or $200 if not ... July was the busiest Rhode Island month by count.
- To contest a Rhode Island notice: Reviewing Officer, Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, 89 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick RI (rule notice text gives 780-9700 / sample (401) 780-9700); hearing available.
- Cannot pay in full? Ask your Rhode Island utility for a payment plan, then the LIHEAP office above.
More
Sources
Form EIA-112, Residential Utility Disconnection Survey, calendar year 2024, EIA release page (released 2026-04-14, file retrieved 2026-10-07). Utility file: electric utility-level workbook; report: 2024 Residential Utility Disconnections Report. Monthly CSV
Questions
How many electric disconnections were there in Rhode Island in 2024?
6,954 in Rhode Island, of which utilities reported 6,954. That is 1.5 per 100 accounts, 50th of 51.
Does 1.5 per 100 mean 2% of Rhode Island homes lost service?
No. The 6,954 Rhode Island disconnections are events; a home cut off twice counts twice. EIA gives no count of distinct Rhode Island homes.
Which month had the most disconnections in Rhode Island?
July, with 2,007. February had 0.
How many Rhode Island utilities have a yearly rate?
2 of 3. The rest left a month blank or share a name with another row.