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H 7885Public Services

Public Utilities and Carriers - Regulatory Powers of Administration

This bill requires electric companies to include a visual illustration on customer bills showing exactly how costs are broken down.

Held for study
Population
Affected
85
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Corporations

Plain-English Summary

This legislation requires electric distribution companies in Rhode Island to change how they present monthly bills to customers. Specifically, the bill mandates that the company must "conspicuously display" a visual illustration, such as a chart or graph, on the bill. This illustration must clearly break down the various costs, including supply, distribution, transmission, taxes, and fees for ratepayer-funded programs. The state Division of Public Utilities and Carriers is granted the authority to review and approve the format of these bills to ensure they meet these transparency requirements.

For younger readers

This bill is about the electric bill that families get in the mail. Right now, these bills have a lot of numbers that can be hard to understand. This new law says the electric company must put a picture, like a chart or a drawing, on the bill. This picture will show exactly where the money goes, such as paying for the electricity itself, the wires that bring it to the house, and taxes. This helps people see exactly what they are paying for when they turn on the lights.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Electric distribution companiesElectric utility customersDivision of Public Utilities and CarriersNonregulated power producers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Increases transparency for consumers by visually breaking down utility costs, helping families better understand exactly what they are paying for and preventing hidden fees.
  • Empowers ratepayers with accessible information, which can help them advocate for fairer energy rates and hold the monopoly utility provider accountable.
  • Ensures government oversight by requiring the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers to approve the billing format, protecting the public from confusing corporate communication.
  • Does not actually lower electricity rates or provide financial relief to low-income households who are struggling to pay their bills.
  • Highlighting "ratepayer funded programs" and "policy" costs in a visual chart could be weaponized to turn public opinion against essential green energy and social safety net initiatives funded through utility bills.
  • Administrative costs associated with redesigning billing systems could potentially be passed down to the consumer, increasing the financial burden on the poor.
For Conservatives
  • Exposes the true cost of government intervention by requiring a visual breakdown of taxes and ratepayer-funded policy programs often hidden in electric bills.
  • Promotes consumer awareness and market transparency, allowing ratepayers to see exactly how much of their money goes to the actual power versus regulatory fees.
  • Forces the regulated monopoly to be accountable to its customers by stripping away confusing formatting that obscures the various components of the bill.
  • Imposes new government regulations on private business operations by dictating the specific visual format and design of their billing statements.
  • Expands the power of the administrative state by giving the Division of Public Utilities and Carriers the authority to approve or deny a company's business communications.
  • Increases compliance costs for the utility company, which interferes with efficient business management and the free market.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 6 additions

SECTION 1. Section 39-3-37.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 39-3 entitled "Regulatory Powers of Administration" is hereby amended to read as follows: 39-3-37.3. Informational notice on electric bills — Electric distribution company.

(a) Every electric distribution company that shall charge for the distribution of electricity to any house, building, tenement, or estate shall conspicuously display upon the bill or statement for any customer the following information:

(1) The total number of kilowatt hours consumed;

(2) The total cost of distributing the consumer power to the customer;

(3) Transition charges;

(4) Conservation costs;

(5) The total cost of transmitting the consumed power to the appropriate distribution site;

(6) All applicable credits;

(7) Applicable streetlight rental costs;

(8) Applicable taxes;

(9) The cost of power delivered; and

(10) All other costs, charges, or fees added to the bill or statement.

(b) The electric distribution company shall issue a single bill for electric service to all customers in its service territory; provided however, that customers of nonregulated power producers may request that the nonregulated power producers provide separate bills for electricity supply.

(c) For purposes of this section, “conspicuously display” means including a visual illustration showing each component of the utility bill and the cost associated with each component including, but not limited to, supply, distribution, transmission, ratepayer funded programs and policy, taxes and all other costs. The division shall have the authority to approve or deny the adequacy of the format chosen by the company for compliance with this provision.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.