Thousands get $200 credit in recent Seattle City Light bill

SEATTLE - Tens of thousands of Seattleites recently received a one-time $200 bill credit from Seattle City Light, with many seeing it applied to their most recent bill.

The credits were distributed to more than 93,000 income-qualified customers in Seattle, totaling $18.7 million. It was made possible through the Washington Families Clean Energy Credits Program, which has provided $200 energy bill credits to over 690,000 low- and moderate-income households across Washington.

More than 75% of eligible customers automatically received the one-time credit, including those who didn't fill out an application for Washington Clean Energy Credits.

According to Seattle City Light, customers with a 2023 pre-tax household income that was at or below 80% of the area median income received the $200 credit. For example, the amount for a two-person household is $88,800, while a four-person household is $110,950.

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"We want all Seattle-area residents to benefit from an equitable clean energy future for our region. The Washington Families Clean Energy Credits and City Light’s bill assistance programs have helped support many people who are financially burdened by energy costs," said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. "Creating an energy efficient future and reducing energy burden for residents requires commitment and partnership from all of us. We are grateful to work with the state to put policy into action — supporting our ability to help residents save money and be equipped for our changing climate."

Additionally, customers who use other utility bill assistance programs automatically received the credit as well. This includes the Utility Discount Program, Emergency Bill Assistance, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and Project Share.

The credits were applied to customer accounts by September 15, while applications opened back in August.

"We are proud to have been part of this effort, which directly benefited so many City Light customers and other Washington families," said Craig Smith, Chief Customer Officer at Seattle City Light. "The successes realized here can be a playbook for future efforts to support our customers and for others looking to deliver impactful financial aid while moving toward a clean energy future."

You can learn more about utility bill assistance on the City of Seattle website.