PUD Offers Billing Options After Complaints

Recently you may have seen your PUD bill increase. Back in May Snohomish PUD announced it was going to monthly billing starting this fall. Now that we are into that process there’s been a lot of sticker shock. Even KIRO TV’s Jesse Jones this week did a segment on it. In response to questions and complaints the PUD is providing an explanation and issuing a list of payment options that can even out your bill throughout the year. The following is from the PUD…

Everett, WA – Many Snohomish County PUD customers are seeing a bump in their energy bills due to cooler temperatures and slightly higher energy rates compared to a year ago. The last 10 days of December, for example, were 12% colder than the previous year. The PUD also increased rates by about 6.5% in 2015, largely due to higher wholesale energy costs from Bonneville Power Administration, its primary source of energy.

When temperatures drop to the teens and 20s, electric heating systems work overtime to heat homes. Over the winter holidays, many families also hosted visitors, meaning houses were occupied at all hours of the day and thermostats were set at higher temperatures.

The PUD has programs that can help customers facing higher winter bills.

Budget Payment Plan

The PUD offers a Budget Payment Plan that’s designed to make bill paying easier by calculating equal payments for customers each month through the year. The plan is available at any time of the year to customers with a zero balance. The PUD requires that you obtain one year of service at your current address before starting the plan to establish an accurate payment amount. You may apply for the BPP by phone or in person at any PUD office. Customer service representatives are available to quote a monthly payment for you or answer any other questions.

SnoPAY Option

With SnoPAY, the PUD’s online billing program, you can pay your PUD bill by transferring money electronically from your checking or savings account, or use a credit or debit card (except pre-paid credit cards). You can also make a one-time payment without enrolling. There is no fee to use SnoPAY. Simply visit www.snopud.com/snopay.

We encourage you to enroll in SnoPAY to take advantage of special options including viewing past PUD bills, establishing recurring payments, and creating shared accounts where you can pay PUD bills for family members or friends. SnoPAY eliminates paper waste for both the PUD and customers.

To learn more about these programs, or how you can contribute to help others, call PUD Customer Service at 425-783-1000.