Rates

Effective April 1, 2026, an average 5 percent rate increase will be implemented. Emerald PUD’s Board of Directors approved the average 5 percent increase in November 2025.

In its 2026 Budget, Emerald looks to continue investing in its electric system to increase reliability—an investment heavily supported by customers according to feedback from our recent customer survey. The budget also seeks to reduce the impact industry challenges have on rates. These challenges include inflation, power cost uncertainty, and most notably, a large rate increase from Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), where Emerald purchases most of its power supply. Despite these challenges, Emerald remains committed to delivering reliable service at an affordable price, and has worked to minimize what is passed through to customers. Overall, these changes will result in a combined residential increase of 5.0%, with the new rate of $0.0868 per kWh. Even with this change, Emerald’s residential rates will remain the second lowest in the local area.

Electric System Charge

As part of the rate change, EPUD’s Board of Directors approved an increase to the residential electric system charge. Effective April 1, 2026, the adjustment brings the monthly charge to $43 per meter.

The Electric System Charge helps recover the utility’s costs of maintaining a reliable electric system. It includes the cost of equipment and line maintenance, tree trimming, outage restoration, property taxes, insurance, customer service, and general administration. Many of these costs are fixed and must be paid regardless of the amount of electricity used by our customers. Recovering a portion of these costs through a flat monthly charge, instead of through charges that vary by level of energy use, ensures the costs are distributed fairly among all customers.

Watch this short video to learn more about the charges seen on your monthly bill.