Cold Snaps Mean City Light, PUD Customers Will See Spike in Utility Bills

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After Lewis County experienced several cold snaps in December and January, officials with Centralia City Light and the Lewis County Public Utilities District have warned the public that utility bills will likely be higher.

Information provided by M.L. Norton, general manager of Centralia City Light, showed three periods of cold weather that occurred, accounting for eight days out of a 32-day reading period.

The “very unusual” cold snaps will likely result in higher bills caused by additional residential heating.

Two cold snaps took place in December. 

On Dec. 8, the low was 21 degrees, while a cold snap from Dec. 14 to Dec. 16 had a low of 24 degrees.

Another cold snap took place from Jan. 3 to Jan. 6 when the low was 19 degrees. 

The lower temperatures experienced during those eight days were met by people cranking up the heat to keep their residences warm.

“When people get their bills, they may be higher, but that is because of the cold weather we experienced,” Norton earlier told The Chronicle.

Centralia City Councilor Max Vogt commented on the information provided at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

“When you get your bill, please remember we’ve had some of the coldest weather we’ve had,” he said, adding January was the coldest on record since 1980. 



Chris Roden, manager of power planning and business services for the PUD, said its customers will also see increased bills due to the cold weather. He also said customer service representatives have already been “amazingly busy” answering questions about bills and the increased consumption people experienced. 

“We hit an all time usage record as a utility,” he said. 

The peak usage period was pinpointed to a one-hour span of time. 

The PUD has a system in place that audits every bill, but when it sees increased usage like it did in December and January, Roden said they “double down,” pulling samples on top of the tests to ensure everything is billed correctly.

“The last thing we want is any mistakes ever, but especially if they are high bills like this,” he said.

The PUD offers several billing options. Many people are on a bi-monthly cycle, while some are on a monthly payment plan. Depending on which plan the customer is utilizing, the higher bills could come as late as March or April. 

To help customers with the increased costs, Roden said the PUD has the ability to make payment arrangements for people, and also offers an equal payment plan that balances out some of the low usage months and helps stabilize bills during high usage months.

“That’s a great value for our customers,” he said.

Anyone who wants to learn more about the programs should contact the PUD at 360-748-9261.