EVERETT — Energy rates are set to increase in April after a Snohomish County Public Utility District board of commissioners vote in January.
The increase will affect residential electric customers’ daily base charge, which the utility district first implemented in 2022. Current rates for people in multi-family units are set to rise to 49 cents per day, a 13-cent-per-day increase. Customers in most single-family homes will see their rates jump to 70 cents per day, an increase of 21 cents.
The increases differ based on the amount of electricity customers use. Small customers receive service of less than 100 amperes of electricity and medium customers receive between 100 and 200 amperes. Large customers receive between 200 and 400 amperes while extra large customers receive more than 400.
The average monthly bill for small customers, mostly people in multi-family units, will increase by $3.95. For medium customers, including most single-family homes, will increase by $6.39. Large customers with a high energy demand will see a $9.13 average monthly increase. Extra large customers, mostly people with multiple structures, will see a $14.90 average monthly increase.
Small business customers will see an 80-cents-per-day increase to their base rates while their energy costs will decrease from 9 cents per kilowatt-hour to 8.365 cents per kilowatt-hour. Base rates for small businesses will now be $1.72 per day, or about $51 per month.
The rate increases were put in place due to severe weather events over the past year, the district said in a press release Monday. In January 2024, the Public Utility District spent $45 million purchasing electricity due to freezing temperatures over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. The utility district also spent about $16 million on repairs after November’s bomb cyclone windstorm.
“We faced significant challenges in 2024 and I’m proud of how the organization worked together to minimize this rate increase,” wrote the CEO of the utility district, John Haarlow, in a press release. “We recognize the impact cost increases can have on our customers and remain committed to providing reliable and environmentally sustainable power, and an exceptional customer experience.”
The utility district’s board voted to implement a base charge in 2019. It went into effect in April 2022 due to the utility district’s customer count rising while the total amount of electricity usage remained flat.
“This has put the PUD in the unsustainable situation of serving thousands of additional customers each year without selling any additional electricity to pay for it,” the utility district’s website reads. “Utilities have instituted base charges to ensure all customers pay the appropriate amount for costs associated with metering, billing and connecting to the grid.”
The PUD offers discounted rates for people with low incomes. You can apply online at snopud.com/account/financial-assistance.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
