The Public Utility District’s board of commissioners approved rate increases for all customers during the Jan. 21 PUD Board of Commissioners meeting, according to PUD’s press release.

Residential customers will see an increase to their bill of about 13 cents per day for small multi-family homes or those with an amp size at or below 100, and 21 cents per day for a majority of single-family homes with 200-amp service.

The rate increase for PUD residential electric customers will only be applied to the daily base charge. The energy charge for residential customers will remain 10.26 cents per kilowatt-hour.

PUD spokesperson Aaron Swaney said that the daily base charge is not dependent on how much electricity residents use. He gave an example on how a household in a single-family home that uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours would be charged:

Pre-April 1: $17.70 (base charge) + $102.60 (energy charge) = $120.30

Post-April 1: $24 (base charge) + $102.60 (energy charge) = $126.60

“Currently, medium-sized customers, which are most single-family homes, pay 59 cents per day, or about $17.70 per month, as a base charge,” Swaney said. “The energy charge is 10.26 per kilowatt-hour. So instead of 59 cents per day, medium-size customers will now pay 80 cents per day, or $24 per month as a base charge. Small customers, or most customers in apartments and multi-family homes, will go from 36 cents per day to 49 cents per day.

For PUD small business customers, the rate increase will see their base charge grow by 80 cents per day, and their energy charge decrease slightly from 9 cents/kWh to 8.365 cents/kWh. These increases will go into effect on April 1.

According to the press release, severe weather events the region experienced in 2024 are the main driver of the rate increase. The PUD spent an additional $45 million purchasing electricity in January 2024 due to the unusual sub-freezing temperatures on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, when higher-than-normal electricity demand – coupled with below-average Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) hydropower generation – sent energy market prices soaring. The PUD also spent $16 million on restoration efforts after the powerful bomb cyclone windstorm in November.

The PUD staff prioritized projects and identified multiple ways to reduce expenditures in the 2025 budget, saving $24 million. The PUD also altered its contract with BPA (scheduled to take effect on Oct. 1), which will significantly reduce the cost impact of future extreme weather events that drive up electricity costs.

“We faced significant challenges in 2024 and I’m proud of how the organization worked together to minimize this rate increase,” said PUD CEO/General Manager John Haarlow. “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 PUD has tools to help customers with their bill, including income-qualified assistance programs that offer 25% or 50% bill deductions for qualifying customers.

More information will be posted to snopud.com/rates.