Customer Services

To help understand your bill, scroll down to the numbers below this sample. Each number corresponds to a specific item on the  bill. Questions? Call (509) 661-8002.

 

1. Account Summary. Shows the charges, including total payments since last bill.
2. Account Number. Use this number when calling us about your bill. Customers who use online bill-paying services through a bank should provide this number.
3. Amount Due. Shows the total amount due and the due date.
4. Consolidated Billing. If you have multiple services from the PUD, they are  combined on a single statement. This bill shows electric and water service. Customers with several services may receive bills with several pages.
5. Meter information. Shows the meter readings used to calculate your bill. For energy use, it’s kilowatt hours (kWh); water consumption is measured in gallons. In some cases, the meter does not have sufficient capacity to register the customer’s consumption, and a multiplier must be used. Some meters are designed to record only a fraction of the actual kilowatt hours or gallons. These meter readings must be multiplied by a specific factor – the multiplier – to determine actual consumption. Meters with sufficient capacity have a multiplier of 1. Most residential electric meters have a multiplier of 1 or 10; most water meters have a multiplier of 100.
6. Estimated Use. Meters are read monthly. But sometimes meter readers cannot access meters. In those cases, use is estimated. “No” in this case means the bill is based on an actual reading, not an estimate.
7. Rate Schedule. The rate used to calculate your bill. Most residential electric customers are Schedule 1 customers, paying about 3 cents a kilowatt hour. Rate Schedules are available on the Rates page of the Customer Services section of this Web site, or you can request them by calling (509) 661-8002.
8. Conservation Rates. Residential charges increase as use increases, which encourages conservation. Our lowest electrical rate is charged for the first 1,000 kWh per month. The rate increases for 1,001 to 2,000 kWh per month and reaches its highest level at use over 2,000 kWh. For water customers, the lowest rates are charged for the first 3,000 gallons per month. The rate increases for use between 3,001 and 10,000 gallons, and goes up once again for use over 10,000 gallons.
9. Basic Charge. This charge is associated with maintaining services, reading meters, billing expenses and other general administrative costs.
10. Surcharge. This line on the bill is for a surcharge if financial conditions make it necessary, but there is no surcharge at this time.
11. Consumption Graph. Use this chart to compare your energy and/or water use from month to month.
12. Helping Hand/SNAP contribution. If you would like to contribute to Helping Hand (help low-income families pay their utility bills) or SNAP (purchase locally produced wind and solar power), write the amount(s) in the box(es). Add these additional amounts to the “Amount Due.” Write the new total in the box next to “Total Amount Paid.” Note: If you have signed up to contribute to Helping Hand or SNAP on a monthly basis, this amount is automatically added to your bill and is reflected in the printed total. Customers with pre-arranged monthly contributions to these programs do not need to add these contributions to the bill total.
13. Payment Stub. Tear off and enclose this with your payment. Note the automatic credit card payment or checking account deduction. You can still donate to Helping Hand or SNAP.