Anyone who’s paid a utility bill knows that they tend to rise and fall as the seasons change — even if our lifestyles and personal preferences don’t.
Shifts in weather and small changes in our personal habits almost always result in electric bills that are different one month to the next. While it’s normal and to be expected, those variations can make planning a household budget tricky month to month.
To help take the guesswork out of planning for utility payments, Clark Public Utilities offers the option to enroll in EqualPay. EqualPay takes the highs and lows out energy bills by averaging usage to calculate flat monthly payments.
“EqualPay is a popular program because it makes payments predictable each month,” said Lisa Fix, Director of Customer Service. “We adjust the EqualPay amount on a regular schedule based on actual usage, but for each EqualPay period customers can plan on the same monthly payment.”
When you sign up for EqualPay, the utility estimates your annual bill based on past energy use, and divides that amount into equal monthly payments. You’ll never pay for more than you use and any remaining balance, or credit, is factored in during the EqualPay adjustment.
EqualPay accounts have consumption evaluated in the spring and again in the fall and payment amounts are adjusted accordingly in April and October. If more electricity than was expected is used the payment for the next period will go up. If the household uses less than in the past, the payment will decrease.
Fix said EqualPay is ideal for customers who have been in the same home for at least a year, which gives the utility enough consumption history to accurately estimate future energy use.
EqualPay is convenient, but Energy Services Supervisor DuWayne Dunham urges customers to not “set it and forget it” when they enroll. Adding that in the weeks after the April audits, the utility’s energy counselors often speak with customers who have been surprised by an increase to their monthly EqualPay payment. Often these customers are looking for ways to reduce consumption and bring payment down.
An increase shouldn’t be a surprise if a household grew or recently purchased a high-consumption product such as a hot tub, but will be a surprise for those who haven’t made significant lifestyle changes.
“Your utility bill is more than a request for payment, it’s a record of your energy consumption so it’s important to review it regularly and compare each month to the prior year,” Dunham said. “If the home hasn’t changed, a spike in energy consumption is often the first clue that there’s an issue — but if you don’t monitor your usage, you won’t know about it.”
Reviewing your home energy consumption history is simple, it’s included on every monthly energy bill and available online anytime when you register for MyAccount at https://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/. In addition to consumption history, customers can use MyAccount to sign up for EqualPay, AutoPay and paperless billing, make secure online payments, and much more.
“MyAccount is an easy way to keep an eye on your usage, even if your payment month to month is the same,” Dunham said. “Our team of energy counselors is available to advise customers in reducing waste and lowering consumption, but MyAccount offers personalized home energy calculators that are another great way to understand usage in the home and prioritize improvements or behavior changes to keep usage steady and payments equal.”
To speak with an energy counselor, call 360-992-3355 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday or email them at ecod@clarkpud.com
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
