Prohibit rate charges in excess of rates applied if tenant of residential complexes with electrical master-meters receives electricity directly from a public utility.
Summary
S0899 amends Rhode Island law governing electrical master-metering in residential properties. Under current law, master-meters are generally prohibited in apartment or tenement houses and similar residential complexes with more than ten dwelling units, but there are exceptions and a grandfathering provision for certain older buildings and publicly financed housing for elderly and/or disabled residents. This bill would revise that framework so that, whenever a master-meter customer supplies electricity to tenant-users in any residential complex, the customer may not charge tenants more than the rate they would have paid if they received electricity directly from a public utility.
The bill’s practical effect is to extend rate protections to tenants in master-metered housing regardless of the size of the complex or the age or disability status of the residents. It would require that tenant charges be capped at the equivalent public-utility rate, while leaving the Public Utilities Commission responsible for promulgating any necessary rules and regulations. The act would take effect immediately upon passage.
Impact
The bill would amend Section 39-3-7.1 of the General Laws, expanding the statute’s application from a narrower set of apartment buildings and special housing categories to all residential complexes using master-meters. It would not eliminate master-metering itself, but it would regulate the rates charged to tenants by master-meter customers, effectively tying those charges to the utility rate that would otherwise apply. This would affect landlords, property managers, housing operators, and tenants in master-metered residential properties, and could require compliance changes and possible rate recalculations across affected housing stock.
Sentiment
The available materials suggest a generally consumer-protection-oriented purpose, with the bill framed as a tenant rate safeguard rather than a restriction on access to electricity. The bill text and explanation both emphasize preventing tenants from being charged more than direct-utility customers would pay, indicating a policy focus on fairness and parity in utility pricing. No committee transcript or vote record is available, so there is no documented recorded debate or formal vote sentiment in the provided materials.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the balance between tenant protection and the operational flexibility of master-meter customers, such as landlords or housing operators, who may argue that the bill limits their ability to recover electricity costs or manage building-wide utility arrangements. Another potential issue is the bill’s expansion beyond the existing exceptions for larger complexes and elderly/disabled housing, which could raise questions about administrative burden, enforcement, and whether all master-meter arrangements should be treated the same. Because no committee discussion or votes are provided, specific opposing arguments or sponsors’ rebuttals are not documented in the record supplied here.