The Snohomish PUD announced details of a rate increase approved by commissioners. The increase will apply to both residential and commercial customers. Here’s a release sent out this morning:
Click to learn more about the new residential base charge.
The Snohomish County PUD Board of Commissioners approved a general rate increase for all residential and commercial electric customers on Tuesday.
For residential customers, the addition of a small base charge will serve as the rate increase that was included in the general budget approved by the Board in December. The rate increase is the first for the PUD since 2017.
“This rate increase is required to address increasing costs and significant investments in infrastructure and service modernization,” said PUD GM/CEO John Haarlow. “This will allow us to fund critical capital projects that will help us continue our mission of providing our customers with safe, reliable and environmentally sustainable power.”
The base charge is scheduled to go into effect on April 1, 2022. The Board originally approved the implementation of a base charge in 2019 and delayed its implementation in 2021 due to the pandemic.
With the addition of a base charge, the energy usage charge for PUD residential customers will not increase and remain 10.47 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Due to the Residential Exchange Credit from the Bonneville Power Administration, most residential customers will continue to pay 10.25 cents/kWh.
The base charge will apply per meter and be based on the type of building that is served and amperage rating of the primary fuse box or breaker panel. Most single-family homes will be classified as medium and will be charged 10 cents per day, or approximately $3/month. For multi-family units like apartments and duplexes and single-family homes with panels or breaker boxes rated for 100 amps or less, a charge of 8 cents/day or approximately $2.40 per month will apply.
Residential electric customers’ bills will not increase more than $3 per month due to the base charge. PUD commercial and industrial and water customers currently pay a base charge.
The redesign of the PUD’s rates is needed to increase revenue stability as new homes, which tend to consume less electricity and/or are gas heated and thus pay lower electric bills due to more efficient designs, connect to the electrical system. With the rising cost of materials and labor, the base charge will pay for the ongoing cost of financing and maintaining fixed costs of connecting customers to the grid, including billing and meter maintenance.
For more information on the new base charge, visit snopud.com/rates
January 21, 2022
Everett Economy