Rhode Islanders who have a Rhode Island Energy account for electricity or natural gas will notice a slew of changes starting Aug. 19, the most noticeable of which will be that their bill will look different .
In addition to a different looking bill, RI Energy will have a redesigned website, a new bill-processing system and a single phone number to reach the company’s new 300-person customer service center in Cumberland.
Customers will also be able to send a text to alert the company about an electrical outage.
Why are these changes happening? The series of changes are part of Pennsylvania-based PPL Corporation's takeover of National Grid-owned Narragansett Electric and renaming the Ocean State's largest utility Rhode Island Energy. The streamlined billing and customer service systems are the latest pieces to be implemented after the purchase two years ago.
Here's a rundown of what RI Energy customers need to know about their new energy bills and how to pay them.
More: Confused by your Rhode Island electric bill? Here's a breakdown of all the charges.
RI Energy bills will get a new look. Here's how to read them.
While the charges on customers' Rhode Island Energy bills will be the same, the design of the bills will be more streamlined and easier to read, according to the company.
In the top right corner, customers will find the total amount owed and the due date.
Taking up most of the bill will be an easy-to-read breakdown of the usage charges, separated by "supply" charges and "delivery" charges.
A more detailed breakdown of "supply" and "delivery" charges can be found here , but simply put:
- Supply charges cover the cost of energy (electricity or gas) that you used
- Delivery charges cover the cost of getting it to you
At the bottom of the new bill, customers will find a year-over-year comparison of their energy usage.
What else will change for RI Energy customers?
The new bill is probably the most noticeable change, but customers will also need to update their online profiles, and they may need to change how they pay their bills online.
According to RI Energy, customers who have an online profile must, starting Aug. 19:
- Re-verify their account login information, including their passwords
- Update certain payment methods
- Sign up again for email and text alerts
The biggest changes will come for customers who pay their bill every month with a credit or debit card , or for those who have automatic bill paying set up for partial or fixed amounts each month .
- Customers who pay with a credit or debit card will, starting Aug. 19, need to re-enter their card information each time they pay, as the card will not automatically be charged
- Automatic bill pay for partial or fixed amounts will be discontinued. Other automatic payment plans, like Arrears Management Program (AMP), LIHEAP, Budget Billing, etc., will continue
- Customers who pay their bill automatically from their bank account do not need to do anything
- Venmo, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay or other digital payments will not be usable in the system.
More: Billing changes, energy prices, offshore wind: Q&A with Rhode Island Energy's new president
Other changes coming to RI Energy customers
- There will be a single customer service number: (855) 743-1101
- Service stops/starts will be available via customers' online profiles
- Outages can be reported via text by texting "Out" to 743674 (RIEMSG) and updates can be sent by texting "Status" to the same number
Journal Staff Writer Alex Kuffner contributed to this report
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Big changes are coming for RI Energy account holders. Here's what to know.
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