City of Seattle, WA

09/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/30/2024 12:51

Helping Customers Lower Their Electricity Bills

As of September 15, Seattle City Light has provided $200 bill credits to more than 93,000 income-qualified residential customers, representing about 20% of our customers.

The credits - $18.7 million in total - were funded through the Washington Climate Commitment Act to reduce the energy burden of Washington's clean energy transformation on low- to moderate-income customers.

"We want all Seattle-area residents to benefit from an equitable clean energy future for our region. The Washington Families Clean Energy Credits and City Light's bill assistance programs have helped support many people who are financially burdened by energy costs," said Mayor Bruce Harrell. "Creating an energy efficient future and reducing energy burden for residents requires commitment and partnership from all of us. We are grateful to work with the state to put policy into action - supporting our ability to help residents save money and be equipped for our changing climate."

City Light partnered with Promise and the Washington State Department of Commerce to distribute the credits to eligible customer accounts.

Utility Bill Assistance

"We are proud to have been part of this effort, which directly benefited so many City Light customers and other Washington families," said Craig Smith, Chief Customer Officer at Seattle City Light. "The successes realized here can be a playbook for future efforts to support our customers and for others looking to deliver impactful financial aid while moving toward a clean energy future."

We encourage income-qualified residential customers to apply for City Light's bill assistance programs, including:

  • Utility Discount Program: Discounts of 50-60% off future City Light (electricity) and Seattle Public Utilities (water/sewer/garbage) bills.
  • Emergency Bill Assistance: Financial assistance to reduce past-due balances on City Light bills up to $660 per calendar year or $1320 for households with children under 18.
  • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): A federal program that provides financial assistance for households with low incomes. The LIHEAP application will re-open this fall.
  • Project Share: Funded by customer donations, Project Share provides a $250 bill credit to income-qualified residential customers to reduce their past-due balances.

Save Money and Energy

Our home energy solutions offer customers programs, incentives, and information to reduce their bill and save the environment.

Other Assistance and Discounts

City Light customers can visit the City of Seattle's Assistance and Discounts site to find out if they qualify for childcare, housing, transportation, and other benefits.

The Washington Families Clean Energy Credits Program is supported with funding from Washington's Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington's climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.