The Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission approved Rhode Island Energy’s proposal for winter electric rates, which will increase average customers’ bills by 16% starting Oct. 1. (Photo by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
Twenty minutes was all it took for state regulators to cement the seasonal electricity rates that will hike Rhode Island Energy customers’ bills by an average of $22.28 per month for the next six months.
But the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission’s swift decision Thursday does not preclude the prospect of more discounts on winter utility bills — proposals for up to $180 million in credits on winter gas and electric bills remain under review. In a nod to the rising utility costs — and frustrations of the customers who struggle to pay them — the three-member panel also kicked off a first-of-its-kind request for public comment on other ways to flatten the seasonal price spikes…