Why your utility bill may be higher this year

As this heat wave comes through, you may notice the cost of electricity is also on the rise, which is putting the economic squeeze on some families.

So, why are electric rates going up, and what, if anything, can be done to reverse that?

The federal government said the cost of electricity in Washington state is 12.6% higher than it was last year, nearly twice the increase for the rest of the nation.

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And some families claimed they are falling behind.

One culprit is the state’s big push for clean energy. That, and the drought we have been experiencing that is cutting into the cheap hydro power we rely on.

It means the electricity being generated around here is costing consumers a lot more. This is how Cynthia Chambers is beating the heat outdoors while keeping her electricity bill down.

“We actually kind of make the kids slow down on using electronics during the summer,” Chambers said. “Because we’re trying to spend time together, read.”

But that hasn’t stopped their Puget Sound Energy bill from rising.

“This time last year, mine is about a $60 increase,” she said.

According to the U. S. Energy Information Administration, the cost of electricity in this state has risen by more than a $1.50-per-kilowatt-hour in just one year.

“So, yeah, we are seeing increases for private utilities like Puget Sound Energy,” Todd Myers, an energy expert at the Washington Policy Center, said. “And also by public utilities like Seattle City Light.”

Myers said one reason is the state’s clean energy taxes on electricity generated with natural gas.

“The second is we’re seeing big increases in demand,” Myers said. “Not just from data centers but from electric vehicles, from switching from natural gas to electric for heating, and things like that.”

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So, what do you do?

“You pay the minimum balance sometimes,” Cynthia Chambers said, sighing deeply. “Let the bills kind of stack until you can’t, you know, avoid it any longer.”

She said just today, she began the process of applying for financial assistance to help pay her bill.

Myers said there are ways to try to keep your energy bills down, like timing your biggest use when the rates are lowest, like overnight.