Seattle City Light Data Access Guide
Seattle City Light is the municipally-owned electric utility serving about 512,500 customers in the Seattle metro area. It was the first U.S. utility to achieve Green Button certification (2014), provides 15-minute interval data through its portal, and offers Seattle Meter Watch for large C&I accounts. As a municipal utility, there is no retail supplier choice.
How to Get Your Seattle City Light Data: All Access Methods
| Method | 1st Party | 3rd Party | Customer Types | Data Types | Latency | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MyUtilities portal | ✓ | — | Residential, small business | Bills, 15-minute usage | 1-2 days | PDF, CSV |
| Green Button Download My Data | ✓ | ✓ | All customers | Interval usage | 1-2 days | ESPI XML |
| Seattle Meter Watch | ✓ | ✓ | Large C&I (>1,000 kW; >50 kW downtown) | 15-minute interval, demand, cost | 1-2 days | Web, CSV |
| ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager | ✓ | ✓ | Benchmarking-eligible buildings | Monthly whole-building | Monthly | Web-service exchange |
Billing Data Access
Seattle City Light provides online billing and account management through myutilities.seattle.gov (Oracle Customer Care & Billing / OUCSS, deployed 2016). Customers view current and past bills, payment history, and usage summaries; bills download as PDF.
What Data Is on Your Seattle City Light Bill
- Current and past bills (PDF)
- Payment history
- Account balance and due dates
- Energy usage summaries
How to Download Seattle City Light Bills (Business & Commercial)
- 01Sign in at myutilities.seattle.gov and select the service account.
- 02View itemized charges and billing history; download PDFs.
- 03For large accounts, request Seattle Meter Watch (smw@seattle.gov) for professional interval data.
- 04For benchmarking, request automated data via ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (scl_portfolio_manager@seattle.gov).
How to Download Seattle City Light Bills (Residential)
- 01Create or sign in at myutilities.seattle.gov using account number or service address.
- 02Open My Account / Account Summary to view bills and history.
- 03Download bills as PDF and export usage as CSV.
Third-Party Access to Seattle City Light Billing Data
Written authorization data request
- 01Customer provides written authorization (account number, service address, requesting party, data and date range).
- 02Submit to scl_portfolio_manager@seattle.gov or call (206) 684-7557.
- 03City Light verifies authorization (4-10 business days) and returns CSV/PDF.
Want to understand the charges on your bill?
See the Seattle City Light Rate Schedules & Tariff Guide →Interval Data & Smart Meters
City Light has fully deployed AMI smart meters and provides 15-minute interval consumption data. Residential and small business customers access it via the myutilities portal (15-minute usage view); large C&I customers use Seattle Meter Watch.
How to Download Seattle City Light Interval Data via Green Button
- 01Sign in at myutilities.seattle.gov and open Energy Usage.
- 02Use the 15-minute usage view; select a date range.
- 03Export CSV, or use Green Button Download My Data to export ESPI XML.
Interval data is essential for rate comparison and TOU analysis.
See which Seattle City Light rate schedule is best for your usage pattern →Third-Party API Access
City Light does not offer a public developer API or formal third-party aggregator program. The primary automated third-party path is ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager web-service exchange for building benchmarking. Large C&I accounts can grant third parties Seattle Meter Watch logins; other third-party access requires written customer authorization and a manual data request.
How to Register as a Seattle City Light API Vendor
- 01Building owner shares the property/meter with the third party in Portfolio Manager, or authorizes Seattle Meter Watch access via smw@seattle.gov.
- 02Third party accepts the Portfolio Manager share or receives SMW credentials.
- 03Alternatively, submit a written customer authorization to scl_portfolio_manager@seattle.gov for a manual data export.
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
How to Enroll in Seattle City Light EDI
- 01EDI is not available for customer data access at Seattle City Light.
- 02Use Green Button (ESPI XML), the 15-minute usage view, or Portfolio Manager instead.
- 03For custom integration needs, contact City Light at (206) 684-7557.
Rate Schedules & Tariff Analysis
City Light bills business customers on a bundled municipal rate determined by maximum monthly demand (kW) and Downtown Network location. Small Business (<50 kW) is energy-only (a daily base charge plus ~12.41 cents/kWh). Medium and High Demand classes add demand ($/kW) and transformer-investment ($/kW) charges, and Network (downtown) accounts pay more than Non-Network. Because there is no supplier choice, savings come from managing peak demand, choosing the flat vs time-of-use option, and verifying class fit rather than shopping supply.
Seattle City Light Rate Schedule List
| Schedule | Applicability |
|---|---|
| Small Business (<50 kW) | Energy-only; daily base charge plus ~12.41 cents/kWh. |
| Medium Business (50-999 kW) | Adds demand and transformer-investment $/kW; Network/Non-Network. |
| High Demand (1,000+ kW) | Large industrial; demand-driven with Network differentiation. |
Seattle City Light Rate Features & TOU Details
- Municipal bundled rates (no supplier choice).
- Rate class by maximum demand (kW) and Downtown Network location.
- Demand and transformer-investment $/kW charges for 50 kW+ classes.
- Optional small/medium business time-of-use pricing.
- 2026 average increase 5.4%; RSA surcharge removed 4/1/2026.
For a deeper analysis including cost optimization strategies and historical rate trends:
Read the full Seattle City Light Rate Optimization Guide →Other Data Access Programs
Energy Benchmarking (SMC 22.920)
Seattle requires annual energy benchmarking for non-residential buildings >20,000 sq ft and multifamily >50,000 sq ft via ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager; City Light supplies automated whole-building data.
- 01Create the building and electric meter in Portfolio Manager.
- 02Request data and authorize SCL_Portfolio_Manager as a contact.
- 03Share the property so SCL pushes monthly data automatically.
Seattle Open Data / GeoData
Public datasets (aggregated City Light usage and GIS infrastructure) are available without authentication; not customer-specific consumption data.
- 01Browse data.seattle.gov for City Light datasets.
- 02Use the SODA API where supported.
- 03Download GIS layers from the GeoData portal.
Limitations & Considerations
- ⚠No retail supplier choice (municipal utility; bundled service only).
- ⚠Green Button Connect My Data (CMD) is not documented as available.
- ⚠No public developer API or formal third-party aggregator program.
- ⚠No EDI support for customer meter data.
- ⚠Seattle Meter Watch is limited to large C&I accounts.
- ⚠Portfolio Manager data is monthly whole-building only (no interval) and limited to benchmarking-eligible buildings.
- ⚠Electric-only: no gas or water data (water is Seattle Public Utilities).
Seattle City Light Data Access FAQ
How does a large commercial or industrial customer get interval data?▾
Large C&I accounts use Seattle Meter Watch, City Light's professional interval-data portal. Eligibility generally includes accounts over 1,000 kW (and 50-999 kW in the downtown network). Email smw@seattle.gov with the account number and facility details to request credentials; the portal provides 15-minute interval, demand (kW), and estimated cost data with CSV export.
Can a consultant or ESCO access our building's data?▾
Yes, through three paths: (1) the building owner shares the property with the consultant in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (best for benchmarking-eligible buildings); (2) the owner authorizes a third-party Seattle Meter Watch login via smw@seattle.gov; or (3) the owner submits written authorization to scl_portfolio_manager@seattle.gov for a manual CSV/Excel export. There is no automated public API.
Does Seattle City Light support Green Button?▾
Yes for Download My Data (DMD). City Light was the first U.S. utility certified for Green Button (2014); customers download usage as ESPI XML and can share the file with consultants or import it into energy apps. Green Button Connect My Data (automated OAuth third-party access) is not documented as available.
How are business rates structured and which class applies?▾
City Light is a municipal utility with no supplier choice; rate class is set by maximum monthly demand (kW) and whether the account is in the Downtown Network. Classes are Small Business (under 50 kW), Medium Business (50-999 kW), and High Demand (1,000-9,999 kW and 10,000+ kW). Bills include a daily base service charge, a per-kWh energy charge, and (for medium/high demand) demand and transformer-investment charges; Network (downtown) accounts pay higher charges than Non-Network.
Is there a time-of-use option for businesses?▾
Yes. City Light offers a Small and Medium Business Time-of-Use rate with peak, mid-peak, and off-peak energy charges, alongside the standard flat-rate option. TOU can lower costs for businesses that can shift load away from peak periods; compare against the flat energy charge for your usage pattern.
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