Grant PUD commissioners vote to increase rates
Grant County Public Utility District customers will see an increase in their utility bills beginning next April after a unanimous vote to raise rates by the PUD's commissioners.
COURTESY PHOTO/TIM MOSSHOLDER/PEXELS
EPHRATA — Grant County PUD customers will see an increase in their electrical rates, effective April 1, 2023. Utility district commissioners approved a 3% overall rate increase at the regular meeting Tuesday.
The resolution passed on a unanimous 5-0 vote, after commissioners amended the rate resolution to remove a proposal for the “emerging industries” class (Class 17) rates and a proposal setting rates for electric vehicle charging stations. Commissioners voted to table the discussion on Class 17 and the EV charging station rates until 2023.
Christine Pratt, PUD public affairs officer, wrote that costs would increase by an estimated $3.24 per month for a residential customer using about 1,700 kilowatt hours of electricity in a month. Pratt estimated that residential electrical rates will be about 5.8 cents per kilowatt hour.
It was the first PUD rate increase since 2018.
While the overall increase is 3%, not all rate classes will get a 3% increase. Rates are based, in part, on the cost of actually providing service to the specific customer class.
More information on the rate increase and its impact will be in a followup Columbia Basin Herald story.