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LOS ANGELES () — Frustration is mounting among Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers who say their utility bills have risen sharply in recent months, prompting calls for greater oversight, financial relief and an independent review of the utility’s billing and rate structure.
Residents interviewed about their recent bills described sticker shock and anger over the increased costs.
“This is outrageous,” said Joyce Beaird.
“It went up, now I’m paying more. It doubled almost,” said James H. Cousins.
“The bills are way, way, way more than people would expect them to be,” said Lawrence Trent Holmes.
While LADWP electricity rates have increased over the past several years, officials say recent heat waves across Southern California have also contributed to higher bills as customers relied more heavily on air conditioning and other cooling measures, driving up electricity usage.
The issue has sparked criticism of LADWP leadership and generated calls for accountability.
“They’re frustrated, they’re mad. You’ve got petitions all over the place… tens of thousands of people have signed on and they’ve asked for one thing, really accountability,” said community activist Earl Ofari Hutchinson.
The concerns have also become a political issue. L.A. Councilwoman Nithya Raman called for an independent audit of LADWP’s rate structure and billing last week. Mayor Karen Bass echoed that call, saying, “We need to have outside efforts looking into the DWP.”
Bass also directed the LADWP Board of Commissioners to explore ways to reduce the burden of high utility bills on customers.
“They should come forward with some specific measures to provide relief to customers so that they can manage,” Bass said.
The mayor announced a series of measures aimed at helping customers struggling with unusually high bills. According to Bass, customers can pay what they are able to afford immediately, while eligible low-income seniors and households may qualify for assistance through LADWP’s Lifeline or EZ Save programs.
The mayor is also encouraging customers to enroll in LADWP’s Level Pay Program, which averages utility costs over 12 months to create more consistent monthly payments.
Questions remain about how long customers may be able to defer payment of outstanding balances and when those balances would ultimately become due.
Dave Hanson, LADWP’s interim general manager, said multiple heat waves and humid conditions pushed power consumption to near-record levels during the summer, particularly affecting customers who reached higher pricing tiers.
“I think at this time of the year, people are looking at usage. It’s not so much the rate as it is the amount of electricity that they’re using when they’re running fans, they’re running air conditioners,” Hanson said.
“There was also a significant increase on the sanitation side for trash. I think it was about $75 to $100. So add that on there, plus the high usage for the summer and it’s every two months, it can be a large bill,” Hanson said.
Hanson defended the utility’s efforts to keep rates affordable.
“We keep very close eye with our financial service office to make sure that our rates are as affordable as possible,” he said.
According to information cited in the report, LADWP electric rates increased 7% from the previous year, while water rates declined slightly during the first half of the year. The report also noted that customers pay a 10% city utility tax on water and power usage, which can increase overall costs during periods of extreme heat.
LADWP said it is working on rate reform, although no timeline for changes has been announced.
Bass has also asked the LADWP Board of Commissioners to pause utility shutoffs through the end of the year for customers facing higher bills. The board is expected to consider the proposal at its next meeting.
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