State utilities moratorium ends September 30

On Thursday, September 30, the state utility moratorium will expire for the first time since governor Jay Inslee enacted the emergency measure on energy and water bills in March 2020. Inslee issued the final extension July 2.

Over half a million Washington residents are at risk of having utility services turned off because of overdue bills, according to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC). About half of Washington residents use private energy utilities and 280,000 of those residents have overdue bills.

The state’s private utilities are Puget Sound Energy, PacifiCorp, Avista, Northwest Natural Gas and Cascade Natural Gas.

To help, private utility companies have spent more than $28.5 million in assistance funds. Consumer-owned utility companies, serving about 60 percent of the state, have waived late fees, delayed rate increases, established customer payment plans, created relief programs and made those programs more encompassing.

People at risk of having their utilities turned off should contact their utilities operators as soon as they can, according to an August 30 Washington state Utilities and Transportation Commission media release. Assistance will vary by utility provider, but some utility companies are offering payment plans, financial assistance and federal assistance for low-income residents.

WUTC-regulated private utility companies will not charge late fees until April 2022, offer payment plans up to 18 months and notify WUTC before disconnecting services.

Although WUTC does not control public utilities, the commission encourages them to contact past-due customers, help with assistance, offer at least 12-month payment plans and to not report overdue customers to credit bureaus for at least six months.