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City council committee approves plan to raise rates for Seattle City Light customers

The plan will be up for a vote before the whole city council next Tuesday.

SEATTLE — A proposed plan to raise rates for Seattle City Light customers was approved by a city council committee on Wednesday. 

The utility proposed rate hikes of nearly 6% next year and another 5% in 2024 for residential customers. The increase would average about $4 a month starting in 2023. For customers enrolled in the Utility Discount Program, the increase would be $2 or less.

Seattle City Light blames inflation for the price increases. The ordinance says without the increase, the utility will have trouble meeting its financial performance targets and level of service to customers. City Light said in a previous statement that the increases are needed in order to deliver "reliable, clean and socially-responsible electric services for the next two years."

Councilmember Sara Nelson, chair of the Economic Development, Technology and City Light Committee, thanked Seattle City Light for working to keep the increase as low as possible.

"No one likes it when electricity bills go up but it would be worse without City Light's hard work here, and I say that with appreciation," Nelson said. "I'm grateful for the oversight provided by the review panel and for their independent endorsement of this legislation."

The full Seattle City Council will vote on the rate increase next Tuesday.

Customer bills were not increased in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, City Light said in its strategic plan. In 2022, City Light increased customer bills by 2.1%, less than the 3.9% approved in the last strategic plan.  

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