Dec 29, 2023, 12:29 PM | Updated: Jan 2, 2024, 12:51 pm
Seattle City Light says customers should expect to see a 10% increase in their bills. (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Seattle City Light says customers will be getting an unwanted surprise in their electric bills come January.
The utility announced a nearly 10% rate increase for all customers beginning January 1, 2024.
“We know rate increases are never good news,” Seattle City Light CFO Kirsty Grainger told KIRO 7.
The increase includes:
The average residential customer will see an increase of about $9 per month ($18 per bimonthly billing cycle). Customers enrolled in the Utility Discount Program (UDP) will see an estimated $4 monthly increase on average. The BPA passthrough and RSA surcharge are an estimated $4 monthly increase on average.
Seattle City Light: A warning customers about scammers
“Having to buy power, that’s kind of a scary thought — that it’s not able — we’re not able to produce it because our environment is not working the same way it used to,” SCL customer Julia Montee said.
Seattle City Light says it does have help available like flexible payment plans and bill assistance programs for those who qualify.
“Nine dollars seems like pretty significant. Just like considering that’s like a pretty large hike and then think about like in a year what that would add up to,” Montee said. “I’m lucky that I’m in a position to be able to pay that but I definitely think about other people where your money has to stretch like so far.”
Pilot program: Seattle City Light adding EV charging stations as pilot program
Grainger said they did everything they could to avoid this, including making two $30 million deposits into the emergency fund, but it still wasn’t enough.
“At this point, we’re at the financial situation where this is what we have to do to refill the RSA,” Grainger said.
A shooting at an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in southern Idaho on Saturday afternoon left multiple people dead and others injured, police said.
10 hours ago
The U.S. Navy's precision flight team, the Blue Angels, had to cancel its Saturday performance at Seafair, due to high winds.
12 hours ago
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide wildfire emergency Saturday, which includes a prohibition on most outdoor and agricultural burning.
15 hours ago
The Coast Guard and the Mercer Island Police Marine Patrol called off a search for a man who apparently fell off a boat on Lake Washington.
16 hours ago
Seattle is the sixth-most expensive city to own a car, a new study revealed. Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston rounded out the top five.
23 hours ago
Former Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes will receive $590,000 as part of his resignation agreement.
1 day ago
As temperatures climb across the Seattle area, many homeowners are discovering that their air conditioner is running but not cooling the home effectively.
The scammers share a playbook: Arrive uninvited, claim to see damage, start work before the homeowner has time to think. If you are a homeowner in the Puget Sound area, these seven steps can protect you from being a victim in the next scam.
One in eight men will hear the words "you have prostate cancer" in their lifetime. Unfortunately, many men tend to overlook the importance of preventative care.
Award-winning Aegis Living Queen Anne Rodgers Park offers assisted living and memory care with a vibrant, Seattle-rooted lifestyle.
Each of the four whale species in our waters follows its own seasonal rhythm, and understanding those patterns is the key to planning your experience.
Colon cancer is one of the most common and deadliest types of cancer, and routine screenings are the best way to reduce your chances of becoming a statistic.
