Seattle City Light

DEPARTMENT

POLICY & PROCEDURE

TIME OF USE RATE

DPP NUMBER

DPP 500 P III-434

EFFECTIVE DATE

12/22/2025

SUPERSEDES New

APPROVED BY

/ s / by Dawn Lindell

PURPOSE

This policy establishes parameters for eligibility and enrollment in Time of Use (TOU) retail rate schedules RTC, RTS, STC, STS, MTC, MTD, MTS, MCC, codified in Seattle Municipal Code 21.49.030 (Residential Rates), 21.49.052 (Small General Service), and 21.49.055 (Medium General Service).

POLICY

1.0 Eligibility. City Light customers meeting all of the following criteria are eligible to enroll in a TOU rate:

1.1. The customer is the accountholder of record on a residential, small or medium general service rate schedule; and

1.2. The customer premises are metered using an operable communicating advanced meter; and

1.3. The customer is not enrolled in the Net Metering program (SMC 21.49.082); and

1.4. The customer has an active online Utility Services Website profile.

2.0 Enrollment. The TOU rate is optional.

2.1. To initiate a switch from a standard rate to a TOU rate, the customer must submit a request through the Utility Services Website.

2.2. Upon receiving the customer's request via the Utility Services Website, the Department will switch the customer account to the TOU rate within one scheduled billing cycle. It may take up to 60 days for the new rate to take effect.

2.3. Customers will remain on the TOU rate until they request enrollment in an alternate rate, or they are no longer eligible.

2.4. After initial enrollment, customers can make no more than one change to or from the TOU rate during a 12-month period.

2.5. If a customer's advanced meter consistently fails to perform or communicate TOU consumption and the failure cannot reasonably be fixed without undue burden, City Light may return the customer to the flat rate schedule.

3.0 Billing and Payment. Enrollment in a TOU rate will automatically change the customer's billing cycle from bi-monthly to monthly.

3.1. Estimated meter reads are permitted under SMC 21.49.090.I and may be used to calculate bills if needed. Compensation or refunds will not be provided for disputed estimated reads.

4.0 Communications. City Light will automatically opt customers into receiving TOU-related communications upon enrollment. Customers may manage their communication preferences via the Utility Services Website. Changes to customer communication preferences may require (48) hours or more to take effect.

5.0 Customer Assumption of Risk. Enrollment in a TOU rate is voluntary and may cause a customer's bill to be lower or higher compared to the flat rate. It is the customer's responsibility to understand and manage their potential bill impacts.

5.1. Rate comparison tools provided by City Light to create personalized bill estimates are based on computer simulations, information available about premises, and local forecasted weather. These bill estimates are provided "as is", are for informational purposes only, and do not constitute a rate recommendation or guarantee of bill savings. Customers selecting their rate option wholly recognize and assume all risks of using the rate comparison tools and bill estimates.

5.2. Customers cannot retroactively adjust their bills to reflect a different rate selection. For example, if a customer's bill would have been lower on a flat rate than a TOU rate, the customer will not receive a credit for the difference.

REFERENCES:

City of Seattle Ordinance 127122 Electric Rates and Provisions, and as the same may be amended or superseded.

Seattle Municipal Code 21.49.030 (Residential Rates), 21.49.052 (Small General Service), and 21.49.055 (Medium General Service).

REVISION HISTORY:

DATE CHANGES MADE REVISED BY

12/22/2025 This is a new DPP document which establishes the parameters for eligibility and enrollment in a "Time of Use" rate. Author: Hillary Winchester, Britt Luzzi, Patrick Hermann, Trina Morris, Kathryn Aisenberg, Joseph Fernandi, Jeff Wolf, Kirsty Grainger

Coordinator: Kim Kinney