Benton PUD Warns of Higher Electric Bills in March

Before you crack open that electric bill for March, Benton PUD is warning customers that there might be sticker shock on your balance.

According to the Benton PUD, snow fall prevented correct readings of electric meters around the city of Kennewick.

Here is how Benton PUD broke down the reasons for the higher than expected bills.

Due to severe weather and large amounts of snow obstructing access to yards and meters, some February meter reads had to be estimated rather than physically recording the actual amount of power a customer used. Estimating customer usage is based on the previous year’s usage during the same period – and since the weather was not as severe in 2018, some bills could have been estimated on the low side. This may cause a larger than usual March bill once actual usage is calculated and billed. Customers should expect to receive these bills through mid-April.

We did start the winter with mild conditions but February received more than record snow fall but now we deal with the collateral damage of higher than normal electric bills for March.