Budget Payment Plan Customers -

Your bill is reviewed bi-annually and adjusted using your previous billing history. To determine the amount of your payment, we summarize your past 12 months of actual billing and divide by 12 to estimate your average electric bills for the upcoming 6 month period.  If you have a balance or credit at the end of July, we divide that amount over the next 12 months and include it in your new Budget Payment Plan amount. 

For more information, check out our Frequently Asked Questions below or contact our Customer Service Department at 582-2175 in Kennewick or 786-1841 in Prosser.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Budget Payment Plan

Why did my monthly budget payment amount change? All budget payments are re-evaluated bi-annually, usually in January and July.  We may also recalculate payments when there is a rate adjustment, or if we have extreme weather temperatures.  You will always be notified in advance of any budget plan changes. How is it calculated?  We follow a several step process to determine the amount of your payment.  First, we summarize your past 12 months of actual billing and divide by 12 to estimate your average monthly electric bills for the upcoming year.   Then, we determine if you have a credit or debit balance owing on your account.  If you have a credit balance on your account, the credit is divided by 12 and deducted from that monthly average. If you have an account balance due, it is divided by 12 and added to the new monthly average. Can my budget payment increase even though there was a rate decrease?  It could. If your usage increased over the last 12 months and your account has a balance due, your new budget payment amount will reflect the increased consumption and the account balance.   What is the difference between the "Budget Payment" and the "Account Balance"? Your monthly bill shows both the account balance and the budget payment amount. Your bill itemizes out your actual cost for your usage of kilowatts each month and calculates the total balance due.  The budget payment is the calculated average amount due each month based on 12 months usage.  Customers are responsible for the payment of all power usage. Where can I find my account balance on my statement?  Each month, the account balance is provided in the monthly usage information for your address, and is identified as “Account Balance this Service Agreement.”  It is located above the shaded line “Budget Payment Amount Due.”   What if my account balance (either debit or credit) is growing? It is the customer’s responsibility to monitor account balances each month and notify Customer Service if the debit or credit balance seems to be getting too large in comparison to the monthly payment.   Payment amounts may need to be adjusted to reflect changes in energy consumption habits. Can I pay off my balance? You can do so at anytime.  Please let the Customer Service Representative know that you want to pay your balance and we can re-evaluate your base budget payment amount at that time. What if I move? If you move within our service area and want to continue on the Budget Payment Plan, you need to request the Budget Payment Plan.  If there is a balance due on your prior address, the total will be billed to you. This balance will need to be paid before a new Budget Payment Plan is set up for the new address.  Any credit balances will stay on your account and the Budget Payment Plan can be set up at that time. If you are moving out of our service area, the balance due must be paid. If there is a credit, a refund check will be sent to you. Can I go off the Budget Payment Plan? Yes, you can go off the Budget Payment Plan at any time.  If the Budget Payment Plan is stopped, the balance due must be paid at that time.  If there is a credit, it will be applied to your next bill or bills. To get back on the Budget Payment Plan, any balance due needs to be paid.