PUD Receives Thanks For Mutual Aid
Mutual aid, or assisting other utilities in times of need, is one of the high points of the public power community. Last month, the PUD received a letter of thanks from Mason PUD #1 for a mutual aid response following the New Years' Week storm. A volunteer crew, made up of Scott German, Jason Johnson, Andrew Wallin, Shawn Ritzman, and Clay Rice, was one of several from Western Washington (including one from the City of McCleary) that assisted Mason PUD crews with restoration efforts after heavy snow, ice and wind knocked out power to several thousand customers, speeding up restoration times.
PUD, CCAP Offer Utility Assistance
Some PUD customers need a little help to keep their lights on and their homes warm. In those times, the Project Help program is able to offer assistance to local families. Your Grays Harbor PUD makes donating to Project Help easy. When paying your bill, simply check the Project Help box on your payment slip, fill in the amount you would like to donate, and include that donation with your PUD payment. You have the choice of donating a small amount each month or making a one-time donation, 100% of which stays with Project Help. If you need assistance setting-up your payment, call PUD Customer Service at (360) 532-4220. If you need assistance or know someone in need, please contact the PUD or the Coastal Community Action Program at (360) 533-5100 for information on Project Help and other assistance programs.
Do You Qualify For the E12 Rate?
My article this month is informational. I thought it would be a great opportunity to highlight another rate category that customers might qualify to use. It is an option that I get a lot of questions from the public on, so thought it would be a great topic to cover this month. This information is always available on the district’s website and also by request from our customer service representatives.
The rate category that I would like to call attention to is our second residential service rate (schedule 12E). Every residential customer that has a meter is charged a $39.00 basic charge for each meter. This set amount is what it costs to maintain the PUD infrastructure, such as substations, poles, transformers, etc. In cases where a homeowner has a meter on their house, and a second meter on a shop, pump house, or outbuilding on the same property (that is not a residence), as long as it is fed by the same transformer they could be eligible for the Schedule 12E rate on that second meter, which reduces the basic charge for the second meter from $39.00 to $15.29 per month. The district I represent is in the more rural part of the county and it seems to be more common that customers in outlying areas have multiple meters where this Schedule 12E rate could become applicable. A couple of years ago, our Customer Service Department went through records and contacted many customers that had two meters at one address to inform them they may be eligible for the reduction on their monthly bill, and those that were eligible were switched to the Schedule 12E rate for their second meter. I would urge anyone with two residential meters at the same residence to reach out to our Customer Service Department at (360) 532-4220 to inquire about whether you would be eligible for this rate as a second residential service. There is some paperwork that would need to be completed and a customer service engineer would be dispatched to your residence to make sure the criteria are met for eligibility. Our Customer Service Department does a great job and is ready to help. Please look at your monthly bill and if there is a question about whether you are set up in the correct rate schedule contact a customer service representative and they will answer any questions that you may have.
Commissioner Arie Callaghan,
District One
Commission Meeting Dates
Meetings are held in the Nichols Building, 220 Myrtle Street, Hoquiam.
- February 2022
- Monday—February 7
- Tuesday—February 22
- March 2022
- Monday—March 7
- Monday—March 21
Utility workshops are held at 3:30 p.m.. Regular business meetings are scheduled to begin at the conclusion of the utility workshop. Public comment periods are included at the open and close of every meeting.
Commission meetings may be canceled and special meetings may be scheduled. Due to COVID-19 precautions, commission meetings are now being held via ZOOM. Please visit our website for updated information.