Submitted by Due_Dragonfly_5547 t3_zk8ypp in RhodeIsland
Trying to help a friend who just moved to Providence. His bill just skyrocketed due to the rate hike with RIE. Is there any alternative energy provider that is much cheaper? Or, should I just suggest that he check out solar (if so, any suggestions?).
(TL;DR: sign up for a community solar project to save 5-10%)
Yes and no...RIE does pass the wholesale cost of the electric supply, but it's at the "default blend" (my term, not a technical one) of power generation, which is roughly 50% natural gas, 25% nuclear, 15% renewables, and 10% hydroelectric for us (more detail here). So the wholesale cost for that energy is a weighted average of those sources...gas for $$$, nuclear for $$, solar for $, hydro for $$.
But you can pay less than that wholesale cost by changing the blend of power generation you get...if you can change your blend to 50% renewable, 25% nuclear, and 25% gas, that total weighted average cost will be lower.
Enter deregulated supply and Community Solar projects that allow you to do just that. Join a community solar project, and a larger portion of the generation^1 for your power will come from solar, which will lower your total blended cost, while supporting/stimulating the market for renewable energy.
Official link for more info, or keep reading for my mostly-accurate summary of how it works: https://energy.ri.gov/renewable-energy/solar/community-solar
^1 my summary: it's wonky because it's all the same electrons in the same wires, so we/they use Renewable Energy Credits that are basically an accounting tool to track an imaginary unit of power from a generator and to a user. Kind of like donating to an anti-hunger charity, where your $10 feeds 100 kids. It's not like they take your exact $10 to the store then buy 100 meals for specific children that are fed by you...they just know that with their operating budget of $100,000 per month, they are able to supply the equivalent of 1 million meals.
Anyway, to manage all that, there are four parties involved:
You
RIE
An energy management company, which will be Arcadia or Common Energy for us
The actual solar farm
You will pay the management company, who then pays RIE and the generator. You save money, RIE gets their generation needs fulfilled, the solar farm gets a return on their investment, and the management company gets a cut too...all hinging on the fact that it's cheaper to generate solar power than gas power.
To illustrate, here are some made up numbers that ignore the REC accounting for simplicity (at the expense of accuracy):
Current state: 75% gas, 25% solar
Gas generation cost: $0.20/kWh
Solar generation cost: $0.10/kWh
Weighted average generation cost, you pay RIE: $0.175/kWh
Community Solar: 50% solar, 50% gas
Weighted average generation cost: $0.15/kWh
RIE pays the solar farm: $0.10/kWh
The management company pays the solar farm: $0.05/kWh
You pay the management company: $0.165/kWh
The management company keeps the remaining $0.015/kWh
Yeah, so with a lot of effort, you can save a little. Later.
I wish this wasn’t the case, but this is the world we live in.
It's not much effort at all, and your next bill will be lower.
Are they using electricity for heating? Are they homeowners? They should get a free energy audit and go from there.
Solar is an option, but focus on reducing demand first (insulation, efficiency)
Checking out solar like installing solar? Or picking a solar provider? Picking s solar provider won’t be cheaper but better karma.
Oh if considering solar - absolutely do it. We haven’t had a bill since installation (2016). Totally worth it.
I was thinking along the lines of installing solar panels on the roof. Not sure though how much that's going to help in the long run.
My solar system went online on September and I'm looking at about a 6 year RTO. My electric bills have been $0 but I still have to pay down the cost of the install.
If you don’t mind me asking, how much energy did you consume before going solar and how much was the installation?
I averaged about 600kwh/month. The solar part was around $30k for an 8kwh system (I had a 16kwh battery backup also installed)
We worked with this company. They're not huge, but they're good people: https://www.energysage.com/supplier/20629/sol-power/
You can save money by taking out a loan to buy solar, but it's a long game, and requires credit.
That website that McKee started as LT Governor was good to find savings but now has become a joke like a lot of his administration
Those guys from India or Pakistan that call me every day to lower my rate might be able to help.
I know people will downvote this but there is a far greater solution to solar. Turn the lights off. If your electric bill is shocking it has nothing to do with the rates, it has to do with your behavior. You want to spend 10-30k to lower your $500 electric bill feel free. But the real answer is just shut off the damn lights.
It has everything to do with rates. Electric went up 47% in October. Sure turning off the lights is a great idea, save 10$ maybe 15$. I dunno about you but at my place it’s 4:30 and dark. Sun isn’t up until about 7am. That’s 14 an a half hours of darkness. Unfortunately I’m going to need some light to cook dinner, eat, get ready for bed and just maybe have a light on so I don’t sit in darkness all evening.
I’ve lived in 3 others states and never come close to paying what I do here for electric.
My cost was $90....it went to $140. My rooms are always bright, my TV is always on. Now if the rest of the area does not want to conserve the answer is very simple. You need a new power plant, and that will never happen in RI.
Your electric bill went up 56%. It’s nice that you imagine every person and home has exactly your circumstances, but for the majority of people a 56% increase in an electric bill is a hefty increase.
My mother lives in 3000sf of 1970's technology.. If she can keep her electric bill below $150 the people with LEDS have no method of complaining. It doesn't even take effort, when you leave a room shut off the light. At night does it look like daylight outside? Shut off the light.
Yes you’re very special and do everything right and everyone should be just like you.
Unfortunately, they’re not, and the answer to a 56% energy bill increase is not “well turn off your lights”, because that is objectively ridiculous in New England in the winter, especially in cases when the majority of people’s bills are going to heating their homes which is not negotiable in freezing weather.
Enjoy your 56% increase and blaming other people for not wanting to have their own bills hiked. It’s weird that you’re taking the time to defend energy corporations for raising rates.
Its weird you don't think people can have the room they are not occupying dark. Also who is dumb enough after all these years to put electric heat in New England? Even the heat pump companies tell you to add gas or propane for the actual cold weather. So I assume you love solar panels like the rest of the dumb shits. If you sell them you can afford them on your house, but stop preying on the poor with overpriced and senseless garbage.
Plenty of houses have electric heat, they weren’t built in the last 20 years. If your fix is “don’t live in this current reality” than your solutions are unserious and I can’t imagine why you’re commenting on a threat about energy bill reductions.
Rhode island...its just an idiot state...Turn the lights on, get solar. Hell run the dryer all day for heat. Pay the most you can to a solar salesman and make sure you finance. Whole state of idiots who deserve their lot in life.
PigpenMcKernan t1_izyj7xk wrote
This is only anecdotal, but my understanding is that you can look up other providers on a state exchange/website. However, RI Energy has the lowest rates. The recent rate hikes are a pass along by the regional grid manager — you can’t really get around this by switching local providers.