Tacoma Public Utilities announcement.
TACOMA, Wash. – Tacoma Public Utilities Board members voted Wednesday to approve a preliminary budget and rates proposal aimed at maintaining safe, reliable service to customers and enhancing residential assistance programs for income-constrained customers while balancing increased costs from inflation.
Tacoma Public Utilities is a not-for-profit, customer-owned utility that only charges for costs to provide services. Inflationary pressures have driven up costs for the Utility— the cost to construct and maintain utility infrastructure, such as power transformers and water reservoirs, has risen with supply chain constraints; wages have increased to keep pace with the labor market, and other costs such as fuel and insurance have been impacted by inflationary pressures.
In 2023 and 2024, pending final approval, customers will experience a system average rate increase of 3.5 percent for power and 4.0 percent for water, below the 9 percent inflation rate in the Puget Sound region. These increases are designed to be gradual, preventing future large increases while still providing safe and reliable services.
As a part of the budget and rates proposal, Tacoma Public Utilities will provide enhanced residential assistance programs for customers who need it most. These enhancements will provide an automatic bill credit based on qualifying income thresholds. As a result, the total available household aid for the five City utility services will increase from $672 per year to $967 in 2023 and $1,035 in 2024, offsetting rate increases for those who qualify.
The approved rates and budget package will now go to Tacoma City Council for final approval by the end of November. The increases in water bills would take effect in January of 2023 during off-peak water consumption, while power bills would increase in April of 2023, after winter’s peak power needs.
Im a single mom and grandmom . I raise my son and 3 grandkids on my income. I can not afford higher rates. Im barely keeping the lights on now. I am paying over 500 each billing cycle. Plus my car, insurance , food, household essentials gas . These kids are growing there needs are each different yet all on me. And now you are raising the already high cost. In my house we are triple covered with blankets , winter is extreamly hard. Havingvtobtell the kids to turn the heater off or down is heary breaking for me. Raising Rates doesnt help my family at all.
Hi Surina, you didn’t mention if your on the budget plan that they offer, this could save you $200.00 per month, something that I do on my budget plan is I look at my statement billing balance, try to keep that at or below $400.00, I then add $20 to $40 dollars per month to the budget billing payment to keep my statement at or around $350.00 per month all year long. I have had the same payment for over 20yrs. Also its cheaper to do laundry on the weekends. or late at night after 10pm. Another thought is time everyone to a 10 minute shower, when I had my kids at home this was a plus because my daughter & son thought hot water would go on and on at no cost, ha right. So if your not on a budget plan give them a call and ask for some help. Hope this helps, I to remember paying so much and trying to save, without the budget plan I now have some extra money every month!!
“the cost to construct and maintain utility infrastructure, such as power transformers and water reservoirs, has risen with supply chain constraints”
?? So the water has slowed down its running into the reservoirs?
Thank you for letting your customers know in advance of the rate increases. I appreciate your transparency.
Be safe out there this storm season, TPU crews!
Its time to start thinking about collecting the storm water that drains into the bay and using this natural resource to good use at our sewage treatment plants, any industry that needs thousands of gallons of water each hour for processing, wood pulp, or cooling needs. Its a very useful resource that is flowing by everyone’s eye’s and could save millions down the road as climate change is now showing everyone its not a joke. Some day with all this deforestation water may not be available as we now expect it to be, our forests need to be watched everywhere in the world, South American deforestation I believe started this cycle some 60 years ago, its been slow, now the storm’s along the East coast come in cycles of 6, all 100mph plus killer storms every year, we on the West coast could some day have this same nightmare like those unlucky people in Florida, Georgia,North & South Carolina, and so on. With our present spring to early fall forest fires in Washington, Oregon, California, some day without keeping a very close eye on our tree’s we could fall into these same hurricane season’s. Lets think about the old timer’s that had a rain barrel by the roof drain to catch this valuable resource, my grand parent’s did!!