Issue #237, October 2024

Vote In Our Calendar Photo Contest

You can help us decide which photos will appear in the 2025 PUD Calendar.

Voting is open until October 15 for our annual Calendar Photo Contest.

Please vote for up to three photos per season. We ask that individuals vote for each season only one time.

Join Us for Our Customer Appreciation Dinner

Our annual Customer Appreciation Dinner is on Tuesday, October 8.

This free dinner will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Columbia County Fairgrounds Pavilion. The Warren Grange will be making spaghetti.

Tickets to the dinner are free and limited to the first 500 customers. They can be picked up in our office.

Operate Standby Generators Safely

If you own a standby generator, do not use it without a properly installed transfer switch.

During an outage, electricity from your generator could back-feed power lines, causing a dangerous situation for our linemen while they're working to repair lines.

A transfer switch can prevent this from occurring. We offer GenerLink transfer switches to customers for $11 per month.

Know What to Do During an Outage

If your power goes out, there are a few things you can do to stay more comfortable and help us restore power safely and quickly.

1. Call us at (503) 397-1844 to report the outage.
2. Turn on a front porch light switch to let our crews easily know when power has been restored.
3. Turn on a lamp switch inside the home so you will know when power has been restored.
4. If you have access to a generator, please use it safely.

Find more suggestions on our website.

Get Ready for Winter Weather

Here are a few tips to help increase your home energy savings this winter:

• Turn your thermostat down a few degrees when you're asleep or away.
• Make sure you have at least 12 inches of insulation in your attic.
• Check your furnace filter regularly and service your heating system annually.

We have additional tips on our website.

Meter Replacement Project Continues

We are in the third year of a five-year project to replace all of the electric meters in our service territory.

If we haven't replaced yours yet, we will be doing so over the next two years. When we replace your meter, we will need to momentarily disconnect your power.

Learn more about this project on our website.

Learn About Our Assistance Programs

We offer several different programs to assist our customers. If you are in need of assistance or know someone who is, please call us at (503) 397-1844 or look into these programs:

• The GLOW Fund
• The Special Waiver Program
• The Income-Qualified Senior Discount Program
• The Gift Payment Program
• The Salute to Service Program
• LIHEAP Funds Distributed by CAT