The UTC building is closed to the public as of Wednesday, March 25 until further notice. Despite this closure, the commission remains operational. If you require assistance, please call our main line at 360-664-1234 or find online services and contacts on our website: www.utc.wa.gov. To stay informed on the UTC's COVID-19 response, visit this page regularly.

For more information, please visit Washington State’s official COVID-19 site.

Stay at Home, Stay Healthy

On March 23, Gov. Jay Inslee issued the Stay at Home, Stay Healthy order in Washington state, and on May 1 he extended the order and introduced a four-phased Safe Start recovery model for reopening.

Utility Bill Assistance 

On Oct. 15, the commission ordered investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities in Washington to continue a moratorium on disconnections for nonpayment until April 30, 2021. Also, utilities will continue to waive deposits for new customers and all late fees through Oct. 27, 2021.

• UTC COVID-19 utility assistance information.
  
• The proclamation provides the UTC with the extended authority to allow utility companies to use existing energy bill assistance funds to help customers who are out of work, or are working significantly reduced hours as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Customers who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and need assistance paying their utility bills should reach out directly to their utility companies.
  
• "Call for Help" social media toolkit – social media posts energy companies can use to direct customers to the UTC’s consumer help line. 
  

Expanded bill assistance program for customers affected by COVID-19:

• Avista
• Cascade Natural Gas
  
• Pacific Power
  
• Puget Sound Energy

General Information

The commission is implementing our pandemic flu response strategy as part of our Continuity of Operations Plan. We remain in contact with state public health officials and the Washington Military Department, and are providing information to our staff and regulated companies as we monitor the situation.

The health and safety of our employees is our top priority. At this time, all UTC employees are telecommuting.

If you have business with the commission, please use our online services:

• File a consumer complaint or call 1-888-333-WUTC (9882)
• E-file documents in a proceeding
  
• Pay regulatory fees
  
• Find documents or request records
• Lookup a transportation company's permit status
• Download annual reports

Regulated Companies

We are working directly with UTC-regulated utility and transportation companies to ensure lines of communications are open in the event that service is disrupted or additional public safety concerns emerge.

• June 16 Special Meeting: Utility companies address their response to the pandemic with regulators. Video from TVW.
  

Utility COVID-19 response pages:

• Avista
• Cascade Natural
• CenturyLink
• Frontier Communications
• Pacific Power
  
• Puget Sound Energy
  
• Northwest Natural
  
• Washington Water

Transportation COVID-19 Information:

Open Meetings, Hearings, and Workshops 

At this time, the UTC is holding open meetings, hearings, and workshops with telephonic or online-only participation. If you are planning to participate in a meeting, hearing, or workshop, make sure you check the calendar event for details.  

Resources

• Find community resources through WA 2-1-1.
  
• Washington State’s official COVID-19 site.
  
• Department of Health Novel Coronavirus Outbreak 2019 website.
• Novel Coronavirus fact sheet (Department of Health).
• Call the COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-525-0127 if you have questions about what is happening in Washington, or how the virus is spread. The lines are staffed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• NARUC state response tracker.