Working together to keep electricity rates stable in 2027

For families and businesses across Snohomish County and Camano Island, nearly everything seems to cost more these days. At Snohomish PUD, employees have been working hard to make sure electricity doesn’t have to be one more thing on that list.

Through its annual budget process, the PUD is currently proposing a 0% overall electric rate increase for 2027. This reflects careful financial management, disciplined planning and a commitment to putting customers first. It’s also the result of employees across the utility finding efficiencies and prioritizing the work that matters most, along with customers who have embraced energy efficiency and conservation.

That approach is rooted in public power. Snohomish PUD is a not-for-profit, community-owned and locally governed utility whose mission is to provide safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable electricity.

“Our customers are at the center of every decision we make,” said John Haarlow, Snohomish PUD CEO/General Manager. “We know many families and businesses continue to face financial challenges, which is why we’re proposing no electric rate increase in 2027. By listening to our customers and carefully managing costs, we’re helping keep electricity affordable while continuing to provide the reliable service our community depends on.”

Holding rates steady doesn’t mean standing still. Every day, PUD crews build and maintain a reliable electric system, respond to outages and strengthen an increasingly complex electric grid. Employees throughout the utility support that work with prudent planning, careful management of resources, and customer service that goes above and beyond.

The PUD’s long-term strategy recognizes that maintaining reliability as electricity needs grow is critical. The proposed 2027 budget continues those investments while carefully prioritizing projects and spending. This means leveraging federal grants to help pay for modernizing the grid to improve reliability, help mitigate wildfire risk and enhance efficiency in grid operations. All of this results in less electricity usage, helping the PUD and customers save money.

Customers are part of the affordability equation too. When households and businesses weatherize buildings, upgrade to efficient equipment or simply use energy more wisely, those individual choices collectively reduce the amount of electricity being used and saves the PUD and our customers real dollars, both now and into the future. The PUD offers energy-efficiency programs and tools for homes and businesses, while new technology such as advanced meters will provide customers with better information for understanding and managing their energy use.

A 0% increase is not the result of one project or one decision. It’s the result of thousands of choices made throughout the year by PUD employees and customers alike, all focused on the same goal: keeping the lights on, keeping the system strong and keeping electricity rates stable, affordable and as predictable as possible for the communities we serve.

Let your voice be heard! The PUD invites customers to attend the Board of Commissioners meeting on Nov. 17 to learn more about the proposed 2027 budget and rates, ask questions and share their perspectives with commissioners. Board meetings are an important part of public power, giving our customer-owners a direct opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their utility and community.

For customers who need additional help, affordability also means having somewhere to turn. The PUD offers income-qualified bill discounts, the Community Energy Fund, payment arrangements and a Budget Payment Plan. Click here to learn more.