PSE Rate Increases in 2026: What It Means for Your Bill
Two double-digit hikes in two years, and more already filed. Here's the honest breakdown for South Sound homeowners.
If your Puget Sound Energy bill feels heavier this year, you're not imagining it. Washington regulators approved an electric rate increase of roughly 12% effective January 2026 — about $17 more per month for the average residential customer using 800 kWh. That came right on the heels of an 11.5% increase in January 2025.
And it's not done
PSE has filed a multi-year request for more: roughly 15.2% in 2027, plus further increases in 2028 and 2029. Those are requested and pending approval by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC), and the final approved numbers may differ — but the direction is clear.
Two double-digit increases in two years, with more on the table through 2029. Every year you stay 100% on the utility, the bill you're trying to avoid gets bigger.
Why rates keep climbing
Utilities cite grid infrastructure, wildfire and storm hardening, and the transition required under Washington's Clean Energy Transformation Act. Whatever the cause, the effect on your budget is the same: electricity is getting more expensive, predictably, year over year.
How solar changes the math
Solar doesn't make you immune to rate hikes — but it caps a big chunk of your usage at today's cost instead of tomorrow's. Pair that with Washington's 1:1 net metering (still in place, under review) and the sales-tax exemption through 2029, and the case for acting sooner rather than later is straightforward.
Want to see it in numbers? Run the savings estimator with your bill and a rate-increase assumption — it'll project 25 years of utility spend if you wait.
Figures from WA UTC and PSE rate filings (2025–2026). 2027–2029 increases are requested and pending approval. Not a savings guarantee; we verify current tariffs at point of sale.
Questions
How much did PSE rates go up in 2026?
About 12% for electric customers effective January 2026 (roughly $17/month for an average home), following an 11.5% increase in 2025.
Will PSE rates keep rising?
PSE has filed for further increases — about 15.2% in 2027 plus more through 2029 — pending UTC approval. Final numbers may change, but increases are expected.