In the midst of an affordability crisis, Puget Sound Energy is proposing a shocking 30% rate hike to generate hundreds of millions more in profits at a time when its customers are struggling to pay their bills.
Washington families deserve affordable, reliable electricity—not another round of excessive rate hikes. Add your name to urge the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to reject excessive rate increases and prioritize affordable, reliable energy for Washingtonians.
To the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission:
We urge the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission to reject—or substantially reduce—PSE's proposed rate increase and ensure the company earns a fair, not excessive, return on equity.
If approved in full, by 2029 the average electric bill for a PSE customer would increase by $50/month or over $600/year. This proposal is being made as one out of every two PSE customers is estimated to be low-income, and one in five qualify for energy assistance.
PSE has made some important investments to make the grid more resilient, but those investments aren’t an excuse to take more from ratepayers than what’s reasonable. Utilities should earn fair returns—but not at the expense of household affordability. The WUTC has a responsibility to ensure customers only pay for prudent, necessary utility investments at reasonable profit levels.
The Commission should protect Washington consumers by ensuring that large new energy users pay their own way, carefully reviewing utility spending, prioritizing cost-effective investments such as energy efficiency, and keeping customer affordability at the center of every decision. Please listen to Washington residents and do all you can to hold utilities accountable and bring down energy costs in our communities.