>> NOTE: Most utilities are warning about phone scams threatening disconnection and demanding payment. Please call the utility directly! See COVID-19 Scam Alerts for more information. <<
Do I have to pay my utility bill? How can I get relief?
UHelp and Project Share Partner with Spokane City: COVID Utility Bill Support
Need help with utility bills in the Spokane area?
- Project Share and UHelp, two important local programs supported by public donations that provide assistance with utility bills, have teamed up to assist community members facing hardship because of COVID-19. Project Share is a project of SNAP WA.
Want to help your neighbors make ends meet?
- Please provide a donation in any amount over the next six weeks. For every dollar you give to help people with their utility bills, the City of Spokane and Avista Utilities will each match it. That means for every $1 donated, $2 more will go to support our community. PLEASE DONATE HERE.
Regional Public Utilities Customer Assistance Round-up
On March 18, Governor Inslee called upon all public utilities to suspend disconnection tariffs for nonpayment, waive late fees or offer customers payment plans, and expand bill assistance programs for customers who are economically impacted by this emergency. Below are links to most of the regional electric and water utilities. Most – but not all – are offering customers experiencing COVID-19 hardship waivers of disconnection and late fees and refer them to their standing discount programs. Some also refer to deferred payments and payment arrangements but most do not offer specific information other than the recommendation that customers call customer service. Several are supporting charitable assistance funds. Offices are closed but customer service is operating across the State.
- Avista Utilities – Avista’s COVID Response page provide details, resources, assurance of customer service, ending collections and disconnects, and commitment to discount programs (see above feature about Spokane/Avista/SNAP partnership.
- Benton County PUD; No specific COVID-19 assistance noted or allowances on their COVID-19 response page but information is provided on remote bill payment. [4/5/20]
- Chelan PUD – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Clallam County PUD – Clallam County’s PUD has a brief post on COVID response including waiving of disconnections and late fees and provides a regular business page on Payment Assistance.
- Clark PUD- No page found [4/5/20]
- Cowlitz PUD- COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Douglas PUD – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Energy Northwest – No COVID-19 page found [4/5/20]
- Ferry County PUD – We could not find specific COVID-19 information. Regular business information on discounts may be found here: Senior Discount and Assistance Programs. [4/5/20]
- Franklin PUD – The Franklin County PUD’s home page announces suspension of shut-offs, that there are payment arrangements as well as Low Income Senior Assistance. [4/5/20]
- Grant County PUD – GrantPUD’s COVID Response page includes waivers of disconnection and late fees as well as payment arrangement. [4/5/20]
- Grant PUD – No page found [4/5/20]
- Grays Harbor PUD – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Jefferson – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Kitsap PUD – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Kittitas – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- KlickitatPUD – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Lewis – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Mason #1 – No COVID-19 page found [4/5/20]
- Mason #3 – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Okanogan PUD – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Orcas Power & Light – We find no COVID-19 response information from OPALCO. [4/5/20]
- Pacific County PUD – Home page describes relief of disconnection and late fees, but not billing responsibility. [4/5/20]
- Pend Oreille – No COVID-19 page found [4/5/20]
- Puget Sound Energy – The PSE COVID-19 response page includes links to their Energy Assistance Portal. [4/5/20]
- Seattle City Light – See our post on Seattle Utilities.
- Skagit – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Skamania – COVID-19 Resource Page and links to their Hardship Assistance Fund [4/5/20]
- Snohomish County PUD – SnoPUD’s Community Support Plan to Help Those Affected by COVID includes description of fee and bill relief. [4/5/20]
- Stevens PUD – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Tacoma Power Company: TPU maintains a COVID-19 page that includes a link to an Emergency Assistance Program. [4/5/20]
- Thurston PUD – COVID-19 Resource Page [4/5/20]
- Wahkiakum PUD – No COVID-19 page found [4/5/20]
- Whatcom PUD – No COVID-19 page found [4/5/20]
