PUD recovers data after Ransomware infiltration in February

information released

Billing statements from Chelan PUD will return to normal – with all of the usage data, graphs, and delivery options that customers are accustomed to – starting in late July.

Here’s what customers can expect:

  • Electronic statements: Customers who signed up for electronic statements will be able to access their next bill via Powerpay. They will no longer receive paper statements in the mail.
  • Powerpay password reset: If it has been more than 60 days since you’ve logged into Powerpay, it may require a password reset. Call (509) 661-8002 for assistance.
  • Autopay customers: Automatic payment will continue to be processed as usual.
  • Past statements: Historical bill statements have still not been recovered from the vendor and remain unavailable to staff or customers via Powerpay. We will continue to work on restoring this functionality. 

ChangeHeathcare produced Chelan PUD’s bills for 15 years. On Feb. 20, a ransomware gang, Black Cat, infiltrated ChangeHealthcare and locked them out of their systems. On Feb. 22, Chelan PUD quickly pulled together a basic bill in order to maintain the billing schedule for customers.

“When we realized it might take weeks or even months for them to resume service, we made a hard decision to move away from our long-time vendor, and we made that decision quickly for the benefit of our customers,” said Ian Fitzgerald, Chief Technology Officer at Chelan PUD.

Since then, Chelan PUD has been working hard to return to full billing capabilities. In May, Chelan PUD added more detailed information to billing statements. Starting in late July, bills will include energy usage (by kilowatt), water usage (by gallons), usage graphs, and information for multiple meters.

Customer-preferred delivery methods will resume for the next billing cycle starting in late July.

“Immediately, we established dedicated team that have been working hard to re-establish the billing process and support our customers through the transition,” said Managing Director of Customer Utilities John Stoll. “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration this has caused our customer-owners. Customers continue to be our first priority.”