| Rate Increase - July 1, 2021 Tigard utility rates will increase on July 1, 2021 to protect public health and maintain city infrastructure. For a typical household, bills will increase $9 per month. We understand this is a difficult time to raise rates. We continue to pursue actions to keep rates as low as possible and to ensure help is available to those who need it.
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Customer Utility Bill Calculator
Use this XLS spreadsheet to estimate your monthly utility charges. - Need help? If you have a question about your current bill, please contact the Utility Billing office at 503-718-2460.
Important Notice
New Water Rates Effective July 1, 2021
Effective July 1, 2021, Tigard’s water rates will be updated as the result of a water cost-of-service analysis and water rate study. This is not a uniform rate increase, meaning the impacts of the rate increase will be different for different customer types.
- The Tigard AID Program provides relief from city fees and charges during the COVID-19 Pandemic. For more information, including utility bill assistance programs, visit the Tigard AID Program.
Background
Our rates reflect the cost of delivering service to you. The city hired an independent rate consultant to prepare a cost-of-service analysis and Water Rate Study. The study reviewed the cost of providing water to each customer group, and recommended future water rates to provide the additional revenue needed to care for our water system. Tigard City Council reviewed the results of the study and adopted water rates for the next five-year period.
Customer Impacts
Single-Family Residential Customers
- Most single-family residential customers will see a water rate increase of $4.30 per month for average water use.
However, the rate increase will impact different types of customers in different ways.
- The base charge is now a single flat fee for all residential customers.
- The booster fee, charged to customers at higher elevations, has been reduced.
Council adopted rates with 2% annual increases for the next several years to cover the costs of providing water to you.
Multi-Family Customers
- Multi-family customers will see a rate increase of 7%. The financial plan determined that multi-family residential customer’s usage patterns have changed since the last study and have a much higher demand for water than in past years. Rates will increase to match the actual use of the water system for multi-family customers. The majority of this increase will be applied to the usage (volume) portion of your water rates.
- A uniform volume rate will also be implemented. In order to provide a more simplified approach to water pricing, the city is changing your property to a uniform usage rate. This was a recommendation during the study based on water conservation pricing. Tiered rates are designed as a conservation signal which incentivizes customers to use only the water they need, by charging higher rates for above-average water use. Tenants generally do not pay directly for water service. Therefore, the signal to conserve water is not reaching those that use the water. A uniform volume rate will simplify multi-family customer bills, make it easier to plan and budget monthly water costs, and simplify communications to customers and residents.
Non-Residential Customers
Minimal adjustments were required to non-residential rates and there were no changes to how non-residential rates are structured/set. Industrial and Irrigation customers will see no change (0%) to their volume rates for the next few years. Commercial rates require increases of 2% or less through the planning period.
