HB 2373
In CommitteeHouse
Electric utility bill assist
Requiring electric utilities to provide monthly bill assistance as part of their obligation to offer energy assistance to low-income households.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill requires electric utilities in Washington to provide monthly bill discounts to low-income customers by January 1, 2028, with larger discounts for households facing the highest energy burdens. It also strengthens outreach, enrollment, and reporting to ensure equitable access and track progress toward reducing energy burden disparities.
- Electric utilities with 25,000 or more customers must offer a monthly bill discount program for low-income households by January 1, 2028; smaller utilities must do the same by the same date.
- The monthly bill discount program must include at least five income tiers, with larger discounts for households with higher energy burdens (i.e., those spending a larger share of income on energy).
- Utilities must use a third-party low-income needs assessment (updated every 5 years) to set income tiers and benefit levels.
- Utilities must offer multiple enrollment options—including in person, online, and over the phone—with simplified eligibility (e.g., categorical eligibility and self-attestation), and may require recertification only every two years.
- Utilities must collaborate with community-based organizations (especially those serving Black, Indigenous, and people of color) to design outreach and enrollment materials in multiple languages, and must provide quarterly bill inserts or emails with program information.
- The Department of Commerce must collect and publicly report biennial data on energy burden, assistance provided, and program effectiveness—including demographic and geographic details—and submit a report to the legislature with recommendations.
Who is affected
- Small electric utilities (fewer than 25,000 customers) — Low-income households in Washington state who receive electric service from utilities with 25,000 or more customers will be guaranteed access to a monthly bill discount program by January 1, 2028. Those with higher energy burdens (i.e., a larger share of income spent on energy) will receive larger discounts.
- Large electric utilities (25,000 or more customers) — These utilities must also offer a monthly bill discount program for low-income customers by January 1, 2028, but have slightly more flexibility in program design as long as it meets need and includes income-tiered discounts.
- Washington State Department of Commerce — The Department of Commerce will collect and publish data on energy burden and assistance across utilities, require reporting from utilities, and submit biennial reports to the legislature evaluating program effectiveness and recommending improvements.
- Community-based organizations and local service providers — Community-based organizations, especially those serving low-income Black, Indigenous, and people of color, will be involved in designing outreach materials, enrolling customers, and auditing income eligibility.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
Low-income households—especially those with high energy burdens—will receive income-tiered monthly bill discounts starting in 2028, directly reducing their energy costs. The requirement for at least five income tiers and prioritization of higher-burden households ensures assistance is targeted to those most strained by utility bills, potentially lifting many out of energy poverty.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 1(2)(a)-(b), (3)(a)The bill mandates simplified enrollment (self-attestation, categorical eligibility), multilingual outreach, and collaboration with community-based organizations serving Black, Indigenous, and people of color—reducing administrative barriers and improving equitable access for historically underserved groups, including non-English speakers and marginalized communities.
Rights & LibertiesPeopleRef: Sec. 1(5)(a)-(f)Biennial public data reporting on energy burden, demographics, and program effectiveness will increase transparency and accountability, enabling advocacy groups, researchers, and policymakers to monitor disparities and adjust programs—supporting long-term public health and safety outcomes linked to housing stability and thermal safety.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1(6), (7)(a)(iii)By requiring culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach co-designed with community-based organizations, the bill supports community capacity-building and trust in public programs—especially important for immigrant and refugee families, whose children may benefit indirectly from household energy stability and reduced financial stress.
EducationPeopleRef: Sec. 1(5)(e)-(f)The option to provide lump-sum payments instead of bill discounts (if monthly discounts are infeasible) ensures flexibility for households without direct utility billing (e.g., some multifamily units or mobile home park residents), improving housing stability by preventing utility shutoffs and supporting affordable housing retention.
HousingPeopleRef: Sec. 1(4)(a)
Potential Concerns (3)
Electric utilities—especially smaller ones with fewer than 25,000 customers—must fund the new monthly bill discount programs entirely from their own operational funds, with no state subsidy or ratepayer offset specified. This could strain utility budgets, particularly for smaller, municipally owned or cooperative utilities with limited margins, potentially leading to reduced capital investment or service quality if not offset by rate increases (which require public approval).
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 1(2)(a)-(b)The requirement for at least five income tiers and income-tiered discounts based on a third-party needs assessment introduces administrative complexity for utilities, especially smaller ones lacking existing low-income program infrastructure. This may increase overhead costs and delay program rollout if utilities lack capacity to implement robust enrollment and verification systems.
FinancialRef: Sec. 1(3)(a)While recertification is capped at every two years, utilities may still rely on third-party income audits (e.g., community action councils), which could strain local nonprofit capacity—especially in rural or under-resourced areas—potentially slowing enrollment and creating bottlenecks in verification, particularly for transient or informal workers.
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 1(5)(c)
Who Is Most Affected
Low-income households—especially those spending >10% of income on energy—will directly benefit from lower monthly energy costs. The tiered structure prioritizes those most severely burdened, potentially reducing utility shutoffs, improving health outcomes, and freeing up income for food, rent, and healthcare.
Smaller utilities (e.g., municipal utilities, cooperatives) face the greatest operational burden: they must fund the program entirely from operations and may lack existing infrastructure for complex enrollment and reporting. However, they serve many rural and underserved communities where need is highest, making compliance critical but challenging.
Large investor-owned utilities (e.g., Puget Sound Energy, Tacoma Power) have greater resources to absorb program costs and may already run low-income programs. They face new reporting and design requirements but can spread costs across a larger customer base, making compliance more feasible than for smaller utilities.
Community-based organizations—especially those serving BIPOC communities—gain formal partnership roles in program design and outreach, increasing funding opportunities and community trust. However, they may face increased demand for enrollment support and verification services without guaranteed new funding.
The Department of Commerce gains new data collection and reporting responsibilities but no additional funding specified. This expands its role in equity oversight but may strain existing staff resources, particularly in biennial data aggregation and legislative reporting.