Requires a natural gas and electric utility company to read the meters of all ratepayers on a quarterly basis. The utility would be required to provide a formula, used to create estimated bills, to the PUC in order to send estimated bills.

Bill Summary: Quarterly Utility Meter Reading Requirements

This bill would have required natural gas and electric utility companies in Rhode Island to physically read the meters of all their customers at least once every three months (quarterly). Currently, utility companies sometimes send customers "estimated bills" based on past usage rather than actual meter readings, which can lead to inaccurate charges. This legislation aimed to ensure customers receive bills based on real, up-to-date measurements of their actual energy use more regularly.

The bill also included a transparency measure: if a utility company did send an estimated bill between those quarterly readings, it would be required to share the mathematical formula it uses to calculate those estimates with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which is the state agency that oversees utility companies. This would allow regulators to review whether those estimates are fair and reasonable for customers.

This bill would have affected all residential and business customers ("ratepayers") of natural gas and electric utilities in Rhode Island, as well as the utility companies themselves, who would face new operational requirements. Customers who currently receive frequent estimated bills could potentially benefit from more accurate billing, while utility companies might face increased costs associated with more regular meter readings.

It is worth noting that this bill was withdrawn at the request of its sponsor and did not advance through the legislative process, meaning it did not become law.