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SUBJECTS › PUBLIC WORKS › Senior and Low-income Utility Rate Discounts
Updated 08/07

Senior and Low-income Utility Rate Discounts

Contents

Statutes and Rate Methodology

RCW 35.92.020(5) authorizes cities to "provide assistance to aid low-income persons in connection with services provided under" chapter 35.92 RCW ("Municipal Utilities"), and RCW 35.67.020(5) provides cities the same authority with respect to sewerage services.  RCW 36.94.140(4) provides identical authority for counties.   

Also, RCW 74.38.070 provides authority for cities, counties, public utility districts, and any other municipal corporation or quasi-municipal corporation providing utility services to offer reduced utility rates for low-income senior citizens and other low-income citizens.

Article 8, section 7 of the state constitution permits "gifts" of public funds in "support of the poor and infirm," which has been interpreted by the courts to mean "poor or infirm."  See, e.g., Health Care Facilities Authority v. Ray, 93 Wn.2d 108 (1980). 

Some utilities limit their discounts to low-income senior citizens. Many, however, include the disabled. Most of ordinances below define "disabled" to be those people who qualify for special parking privileges under RCW 46.16.381(1)(a) through (f) and blind people as defined in RCW 74.18.020(4).  Chehalis, however, requires that customers applying for the totally disabled customer rate furnish proof of such a disability from  the Social Security Administration. Port Angeles includes those who qualify for supplemental social security benefits due to a disability. Richland adds developmentally disabled citizens as defined in RCW 71A.10.020(2) and mentally ill as defined in RCW 71.05.020(1) with low incomes . In some cases, the utility requires that this person be the head of household.  In other cases,  a restriction on the income level of any cotenant.

Edmonds is one of the few cities that exempts all low-income people (total disposable income including that of his or her spouse or cotenant does not exceed the amount specified in RCW 84.36.381(5)(b))

In defining "low-income," there are a number of different approaches:

    3. Use the income level set by the statutes in RCW 84.36.381(5)(b) to qualify for a property tax exemption; or
    4. Use some other number that the city council determines (Chehalis is an example).

The third approach might be the easiest to administer because the utility can ask the person applying for the reduced rates for a copy of the property tax exemption, and, presumably, the county assessor has checked the income levels.

Ordinance Provisions

  • Bainbridge Island Municipal Code  Sections 13.16.080 -13.16.086 - Low income senior citizen, disabled citizen discount
  • Buckley Ordinance No. 04-08 (Adobe Acrobat Document 1.4 MB) - Amends Ch. 14.16, low income utility discounts
  • Chehalis Municipal Code:
    • Section 13.16.080 (Adobe Acrobat Document 497 KB) - Low-income senior citizen customer and totally disabled customer utility discount rate
    • Section 13.12.130 (Adobe Acrobat Document 554 KB) - Base water rates for low-income senior citizen customers and totally disabled customers
  • East Wenatchee Municipal Code  Ch. 4.34 - Rates for low-income seniors and low-income disabled
  • Edmonds Municipal Code Section 7.30.070 - Water and sewer rates reductions for low-income citizens
  • Issaquah Municipal Code  Ch. 13.92 - Senior citizen and low-income citizen fee reductions
  • Oak Harbor Municipal Code  Ch. 3.90 - Low-income credit on utility bills
  •  Port Angeles Municipal Code Ch. 13.20 (Adobe Acrobat Document) - Utility Discount for Low-Income Senior Citizens and Disabled Citizens (Page 42 of file) 
  • Richland Municipal Code Ch. 3.39.030 ( 264 KB) - Special residential rates-qualification as low-income senior citizen or low-income disabled citizens 
  • Tumwater Municipal Code Section 13.18.090 - Life-line, low-income senior citizen and low- income disabled person rate discounts
  • West Richland Municipal Code:  ( 331 KB Scroll to view sections)

Forms