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This case study by RMI examines how electric rate design can reduce financial barriers to heat pump adoption by aligning utility tariffs with the actual costs of service. By analyzing four different approaches in the United States, the document demonstrates that electrification-friendly rates can lower energy bills for heat pump users and improve grid efficiency by recognizing that heat pumps primarily increase demand during winter months, often utilizing existing capacity in summer-peaking systems.

This policy brief by RMI outlines five strategic policies to increase the adoption of air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) and heat pump water heaters (HPWHs) in Illinois to lower household energy bills and meet state decarbonization goals. The document analyzes the techno-economic viability of electrification for single-family homes, highlighting that while heat pumps can reduce operational costs—particularly for those switching from propane or electric resistance heating—high up-front cost premiums remain a primary barrier. RMI recommends a combination of increased targeted incentives, zero-interest financing, rate design reforms, AC-to-heat pump replacement policies, and electric-friendly building standards for new construction.

This report by RMI examines the use of cost tracker mechanisms by investor-owned utilities in the United States, arguing that their overutilization can weaken cost-containment incentives and increase energy burdens for households. It proposes a four-pronged regulatory strategy to help regulators manage these mechanisms, improve transparency, and align utility spending with customer needs.

This report provides a framework for conducting a Gas System Analysis (GSA) to help regulators and decision-makers evaluate the prudence of gas utility infrastructure investments, reduce consumer costs, and align utility operations with climate and public health goals.

This guide by RMI outlines how state regulators in the United States can implement recently passed legislation to deploy advanced transmission technologies (ATTs), such as grid enhancing technologies (GETs) and advanced conductors, to lower electricity costs and improve grid reliability.

This briefing by RMI argues that affordability programs for low-income utility customers reduce system-wide energy costs by lowering utility debt and collection expenses, which are otherwise passed on to all ratepayers.

This policy brief by RMI outlines six strategic priorities for U.S. states to optimize federal funding and accelerate clean energy deployment following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The document emphasizes the urgency of acting before federal incentives phase out, focusing on fleet electrification, permitting and interconnection reform, financial gap filling, energy affordability, home energy rebates, and cleantech manufacturing innovation.

This policy brief by RMI argues that current electricity rate designs in the United States often overcharge heat pump users, creating a financial barrier to home electrification. The document explains that because many utility costs are driven by summer peak demand, customers who add electricity demand in the winter (via heat pumps) may pay more than the actual cost of service. RMI proposes several rate reform strategies—including seasonal heating rates, time-varying rates, and separate customer classes—to align electricity pricing with actual system costs and support decarbonization goals.

A joint statement by eleven civil society organizations arguing that carbon pricing is not the cause of affordability challenges in Canada and calling for a transition away from fossil fuels to address both climate and cost-of-living crises.

This report by RMI examines the financial burden of high fuel costs on families in the United States and critiques the current utility practice of using fuel adjustment clauses to pass 100 percent of fuel costs to customers. The document proposes six regulatory strategies to incentivize utilities to manage fuel costs more efficiently and reduce the risk of price volatility for consumers.

This briefing by RMI outlines the energy affordability crisis in the US, driven by high fossil fuel prices and rising electricity rates, and provides a toolkit of short-term and long-term regulatory solutions for state public utility commissions to reduce the energy burden on vulnerable households.

This briefing, produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), examines the intersection of energy affordability and electricity pricing reform in India following the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses the financial instability of electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs), the socio-economic impact of lockdowns on low-income households, and potential strategies for rationalizing tariffs and subsidies to ensure social sustainability during economic recovery.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) explores how electric utilities can move beyond traditional bill assistance to collaborate with low-and moderate-income (LMI) customers. It identifies new business models leveraging distributed energy resources (DERs) to reduce energy burdens, improve health and environmental outcomes, and create grid value.

This report outlines the risks and needs of low-income (LI) and fixed-income (FI) electricity customers during the transition to a distributed energy resource (DER) and renewable electricity system. It identifies financial and social concerns, maps existing and unmet needs, and examines case studies to determine how these segments can be equitably integrated into a high-DER future.