Cost to charge an EV in Rhode Island
The residential electricity rate in Rhode Island is 28.18¢/kWh, 55% above the national average. At that rate, charging a typical EV at home costs about $81/month.
Residential average for August 2026, the most recent month EIA reports.
What it costs to charge a typical EV in Rhode Island
$16.91
Full charge (60 kWh battery)
about 210 miles of range
8.1¢
Per mile
at 3.5 mi/kWh
$81
Typical month (1,000 mi)
286 kWh
$966
Per year
12,000 miles
How we get these numbers
We use the same formula as our cost article: monthly miles divided by efficiency, times the electricity rate.
(1,000 mi ÷ 3.5 mi/kWh) × 28.18¢/kWh = $81/month
- Rate in Rhode Island: 28.18¢/kWh (residential average)
- Efficiency: 3.5 mi/kWh, a typical passenger EV
- Driving: 1,000 miles/month, near the US average
Figures assume no charging loss, to match the article and keep the math clear. Real-world AC charging adds roughly 10%. For the same miles, a 30 mpg gas car at $4.50/gallon (Q2 2026) would run about $150/month, so charging at home saves roughly $69/month here. Run your own numbers in the calculator.
How Rhode Island compares
Rhode Island's 28.18¢/kWh is 55% above the national average of 18.16¢/kWh (August 2026). Over the past 12 months it has averaged 29.54¢/kWh, so a single month is not an outlier.
Rates are a residential blended average. Your own bill depends on your utility and rate plan; many utilities offer cheaper overnight time-of-use rates that cut EV charging costs further. See every state's rate.
Next steps
Home charging cost calculator
Plug in your own mileage, efficiency, and rate plan, including time-of-use.
Rhode Island EV charging guide
Utilities, incentives, time-of-use rates, and policy for Rhode Island.
What home charging actually costs
The full editorial breakdown: hardware, installation, and electricity.
Sources & method
- U.S. Energy Information Administration: residential electricity retail prices (Open Data API, electricity/retail-sales)Retrieved Nov 2026
Rate shown is the residential average retail price EIA reports for Rhode Island (August 2026). Cost figures use 3.5 mi/kWh efficiency and 1,000 miles/month; see the worked example above for the full method. We never estimate a rate: states EIA does not report do not get a page. How we source our data.
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