EVERETT—The Snohomish County PUD’s Commission approved the 2026 budget for electric, generation and water systems during its meeting on December 2.
“By finding smart ways to be more efficient and prioritizing projects, we were able to keep the rate increase as low as possible and ease the impact on our customers,” said John Haarlow, Snohomish PUD CEO/General Manager. “This adjustment ensures we can meet rising equipment and operational costs while continuing to deliver reliable and environmentally sustainable power.”
The PUD’s 2026 electric system budget includes a rate increase for all customer classes. Rising costs of materials, supplies and equipment crucial to providing reliable power to customers are the main drivers of the rate increase. All electric system rate increases will go into effect on April 1, 2026.
The PUD implemented proactive cost-saving initiatives to limit the rate increases and ease the burden on customers. Staff identified efficiencies and prioritized key projects, resulting in an overall 2.5% average increase instead of the original proposed 3% increase.
The rate increase for PUD residential electric customers will be applied to the energy charge. The energy charge will increase from 10.26 cents per kilowatt-hour to 10.61 cents/kWh. On average, residential customers will see an increase to their bill of approximately $3.22 per month. Bill changes will vary depending on each household’s energy usage. Customers who are interested in learning how to offset this rate increase through conservation are encouraged to visit snopud.com/save-energy for programs and tips to reduce their energy usage and monthly bill.
For PUD small business customers, the energy charge will increase from 8.37 cents per kilowatt-hour to 8.57 cents per kilowatt-hour with the average monthly bill increasing $4.55.
Customers can make small changes to daily habits that will help lessen the impact of the rate increase. Simple cost saving measures like turning off lights when leaving the room, replacing or cleaning furnace filters, or using smaller appliances while cooking can help reduce energy usage. For information on rebates on insulation, duct sealing and windows, visit snopud.com/weatherization.
The PUD budgeted an additional $14.4 million in 2026 to help customers pay for energy efficiency programs such as insulation and duct sealing.
PUD water customers will see an average bill increase of $3.33 per month. Water rate increases in 2026 will take effect Jan. 1 and are primarily driven by the rising costs of materials, supplies, and equipment.
The PUD has tools to help customers with their bill, including robust income-qualified assistance programs that offer 25% or 50% bill reductions for qualifying customers. To learn more about PUD’s financial assistance programs, visit: snopud.com/billhelp.
More information will be posted to snopud.com/rates.
Author: Mario Lotmore
