Fewer Delinquent Power Bills in Yakima

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Story Published: Nov 18, 2009 at 6:32 PM PST

By Ryan Simms

YAKIMA -- In a time when hundreds of people fall behind on paying their power bills, payment plans are becoming more popular.

In between a load of laundry, Corinna Hathaway has weathered many challenges in her life, including astronomical power bills.

"Having to provide for your kids, and making sure they have a warm house, you have to find a way to make ends meet," she tells Action News.

And for Hathaway, ends meet came in the form of a simple payment plan. She isn't alone.

In Yakima, 170 more people have opted to take part in a payment plan with Pacific Power. In just one year of offering the plan, Pacific Power has decreased the number of delinquent customers by 50-percent.

While the numbers may be encouraging, the shame of asking for help is still leaving a lot of people in the dark.

Hathaway understands that shame, and has advice for anyone considering a payment program.

"Go for it," she says. "It made me feel a whole lot more comfortable knowing my kids had what they needed"

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