PUD’s practice of averaging usage hit me with huge bill

Published 1:30 am Sunday, January 16, 2022

My spouse and I are living in a modest three-bedroom, 1,800-square-foot single-story home in an over-55 retirement community in Everett.

I have been paying monthly power bills for 71 years, 50 of those years to the Snohomish County Public Utility District. Today, I received the highest PUD bill that I have ever gotten.

My heating system consists of a heat pump and the usual electric furnace. My heating system is relative new and has been functioning as it should since installation. My previous PUD bill was $117.69. Today, I received this month’s PUD bill and was shocked that the bill was $773.46, a mere increase of $653 dollars more than last month’s bill.

I called PUD, they said it was due to averaging and the meter was not read for last month’s billing. Are the so-called smart meters involved in this? This month’s bill included the difference from the estimated bill and the actual meter reading when actually read for this month’s bill, I was told.

Customer Service asked if someone was stealing my power with an extension cords plugged in outside my house. Customer Service offered a payment schedule and I declined.

I asked if the bill was correct in their eyes and it was made clear I had no recourse other that remit the $773.

I am curious if others have experienced what I have described and what they have done, if anything, about it.

Earl M. Haas

Everett