Issue #257, June 2026

Tips to Save on Your Electric Bill this Summer

Heating and cooling are typically a home's major energy users. Here are some tips to reduce your cooling costs this summer:

• Set your central thermostat to 78 degrees.
• Use a fan instead of an air conditioner.
• Close windows, doors, and blinds to keep the sun's heat out.
• Open windows and doors in the early morning and evening to let cool breezes through.

Check our website for additional tips to save electricity this summer.

Please Keep Your Contact Info Current

Please ensure the contact information we have for you is current.

We will need to contact you if your account is up for disconnection. We also may call to notify you about PUD work occurring in your area.

You can check to see if your account is up to date by calling us at (503) 397-1844, or going into the settings tab in the SmartHub app.

GLOW Assistance is Available Year-Round

Our GLOW Fund provides emergency bill payment assistance to income-qualified customers. This is available to customers in need at any time of year.

If you or someone you know is facing an emergency and needs assistance on their electric bill, please call us at (503) 397-1844 or visit our website.

GLOW is funded through generous customer donations, surplus scrap metal proceeds, and employee fundraisers.

Protect Yourself from Scam Attempts

Please be aware of potential scam attempts from people impersonating utility workers. We regularly receive reports from customers who have received phone calls, emails, or text messages trying to convince them that they need to make a payment.

If you receive a call or message like this, please hang up or ignore it and call us directly at (503) 397-1844.

See other ways you can help protect yourself from scam attempts.

Charging Your EV at Night Can Help the Grid

Charging your electric vehicle when demand for electricity is lower helps reduce the strain on our electric grid.

For this reason, we recommend scheduling your EV's charging times to coincide with our off-peak hours. These are Monday through Friday from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. or 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and any time on weekends or holidays.

We also have rebates available for installing qualified Level 2 chargers.

PUD Pays Franchise Fees to Local Cities

Local cities recently received more than $870,000 in franchise fee payments from the PUD.

In exchange for providing electricity within city limits, we are required to pay a fee to each city for the ability to use public spaces, such as roads and sidewalks. This is called a franchise fee.

This spring, we issued payment for franchise fees based on revenues billed in 2025 within each city's boundaries. We paid:

• Columbia City $63,695
• Prescott $2,161
• Rainier $26,387
• Scappoose $261,508
• St. Helens $517,180

Customers in the city limits of Rainier, Columbia City, Scappoose, and St. Helens see this franchise fee as a line item on their bill for 1% of their total charges.