Snohomish PUD offers ways to help customers keep the heat on

There are grant, weatherization and discounted rate programs to help with higher-than-normal bills.

  • By Snohomish County PUD
  • Saturday, November 2, 2019 1:30am
  • Life

Jamie Contreras and Jackie Morales love helping customers keep their heat on. It’s an especially important job this time of year.

Contreras and Morales are Snohomish County PUD customer service representatives, and they play a special role in the lives of our customers throughout the winter. Starting in November, they will do most of their work not at the PUD, but rather at the Snohomish County Human Services Department in downtown Everett as part of the Federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

The program helps connect customers struggling to pay high winter bills with grant funding up to $1,000. Contreras and Morales aid customers who have had their power shut off or are about to. They go over each customer’s account, discussing account balances, energy usage and the best ways to conserve energy.

Working at the county offices helps Contreras and Morales connect directly with customers. They can discuss payment options, load pledges on their account for Energy Assistance grants and arrange for customers to get their lights back on.

Over the years, they’ve received a lot of hugs from grateful customers.

“Customers are so thankful that they have a resource like this that can help them take care of their family,” Contreras said.

Whether they heat with electricity, natural gas, propane, oil or wood, customers who meet eligibility requirements can apply for grants ranging from $25 to $1,000. This year’s program begins Nov. 18.

With temperatures plunging into the 20s, this past week was a great example of why the Energy Assistance program is so important. Cold weather affects the way we live our lives. We stay inside more, keep the lights on longer and turn the heat up higher. That results in higher bills.

The larger the difference between the temperature outside and the temperature inside, the harder your heating system must work and the more energy it will consume. This is especially true for homes that don’t have enough insulation, have single-paned windows and/or poor caulking around the windows and doors.

Heating has the most impact to customers’ energy usage, and since furnaces and other heating sources often work quietly in the background, those higher bills can often be a surprise for folks.

Along with helping connect customers with grant funds, the PUD offers a number of its own programs to help customers with those higher-than-normal bills through:

Customer grants: Project PRIDE offers grants up to $125 for customers struggling to pay their PUD bill and facing disconnection. It is administered by St. Vincent de Paul and is funded by voluntary contributions made by PUD customers.

Free weatherization: This program offers free weatherization for low-income renters in partnership with Snohomish County, including caulking, weather-stripping and various insulation work, to those who qualify based on their income. For details reach out directly to Snohomish County at www.snohomishcountywa.gov.

Discounted rates: The PUD recently refreshed its approach to discounting its current rate. PUD customers at or below 125% federal poverty levels can receive up to 60% off their monthly bill if they qualify. Additionally, there are multiple paths for streamlined enrollment effective Nov. 1.

Need help with high bills or know someone who does this winter season? Call Snohomish PUD Customer Service at 425-783-1000 or check out www.snopud.com/discounts for more information.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

What’s Up columnist Andrea Brown with a selection of black and white glossy promotional photos on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Free celeb photos! Dig into The Herald’s Hollywood time capsule

John Wayne, Travolta, Golden Girls and hundreds more B&W glossies are up for grabs at August pop-up.

Rodney Ho / Atlanta Journal-Constitution / Tribune News Service
The Barenaked Ladies play Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville on Friday.
Coming events in Snohomish County

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Edmonds announces summer concert lineup

The Edmonds Arts Commission is hosting 20 shows from July 8 to Aug. 24, featuring a range of music styles from across the Puget Sound region.

Big Bend Photo Provided By Ford Media
2025 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend Increases Off-Road Capability

Mountain Loop Highway Was No Match For Bronco

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Mustang Convertible Photo Provided By Ford Media Center
Ford’s 2024 Ford Mustang Convertible Revives The Past

Iconic Sports Car Re-Introduced To Wow Masses

Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

The 2025 Nissan Murano midsize SUV has two rows of seats and a five-passenger capacity. (Photo provided by Nissan)
2025 Nissan Murano is a whole new machine

A total redesign introduces the fourth generation of this elegant midsize SUV.

A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

$20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

The Mukilteo Boulevard Homer on Monday, May 12, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Homer Hedge’: A Simpsons meme takes root in Everett — D’oh!

Homer has been lurking in the bushes on West Mukilteo Boulevard since 2023. Stop by for a selfie.

Sarah and Cole Rinehardt, owners of In The Shadow Brewing, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In The Shadow Brewing: From backyard brews to downtown cheers

Everything seems to have fallen into place at the new taproom location in downtown Arlington

Bar manager Faith Britton pours a beer for a customer at the Madison Avenue Pub in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burgers, brews and blues: Madison Avenue Pub has it all

Enjoy half-price burgers on Tuesday, prime rib specials and live music at the Everett mainstay.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.