Pacific Power helping Washington customers recover from economic hardship due to COVID-19

YAKIMA, Wash. — Many customers in Washington have seen their lives turned upside down by the economic turmoil caused by more than a year of the COVID-19 pandemic. By providing grants to community organizations  and stopping late fees or service disconnects due to nonpayment, Pacific Power has actively pursued ways to help customers manage through this time of economic hardship since the onset of the pandemic.

Now, with recovery on the horizon, the company is offering a range of options to help its 130,000 Washington customers achieve greater economic stability and get back on track financially

New programs go into effect April 1, 2021 to help with bills and generally assist customers get what they need to return to normalcy in the coming months. Pacific Power will be reaching out to customers in general and specifically in communities greatly impacted by job losses and illness, but we also encourage anyone with concerns about their ability to pay their Pacific Power bill to contact us as soon as possible at 1-888-221-7070.

“This past year has been hard on our neighbors and communities and we hear that every day from our customers,” said Toni Petty, regional business manager based in Yakima. “We are offering this assistance in partnership with local agencies to help people get back on their feet. We know that many people are still suffering hardships and we want to work with them to help them recover and, by doing so, get the communities we serve back on an even keel.”

New Assistance Plus Program funds are available through local agencies to pay eligible customers’ past-due balances up to $2,500. If you have a past due balance and have received energy assistance in the past 16 months, you are automatically qualified. Pacific Power will contact you directly and no further action from you is required. Customers with past due amounts, but who have not received energy assistance in that time frame, may call their local agencies to see if they qualify as well. Statewide, we are devoting $3.1 million in this effort. Funding is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• In North Yakima County, contact Opportunities Industrialization Center of Washington at www.yvoic.org or call 509-452-7145.
• In South Yakima County, contact Northwest Community Action Center at ncactopp.org or call 509-865-7630.
• In Columbia, Garfield and Walla Walla counties, contact Blue Mountain Action Council at www.bmacww.org or call 509-529-4980.

Customers can also call Pacific Power anytime at 1-888-221-7070 to sign up for a flexible payment arrangement (up to 18 months). The company can also reset existing payment plans over a longer period. To find out more, visit pacificpower.net/service.

For other resources, such as rental assistance, we urge you to call 2-1-1 to connect to these services.