Los Angeles: Bass calls for outside independent audit of LADWP rates as board meets Tuesday

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on October 26 called for an outside, independent audit of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) rates, and urged the LADWP Board of Commissioners to deliver immediate and comprehensive relief for ratepayers facing sharply higher charges. The board will meet and act on several proposals on Tuesday, October 27, at 10 a.m. local time.

An audit that explains how rates are set

Under Bass's request, the audit should explain how rates are calculated, justified and billed, evaluate the cost of service, and examine rate design to promote long-term affordability and protect ratepayers from unexpected billing spikes. To ensure credibility, the process must be fully transparent, engage community stakeholders, and seek input from the Ratepayer Advocate.

Level Pay incentives and a 25% rebate boost

Bass also asked the board to direct the department to go beyond raising the visibility of the Level Pay program, offering an incentive to enroll and considering auto-enrolling customers, so families are not blindsided by the bill shock seen over the past few weeks.

She further called on the board to boost the department's energy-efficiency rebate program by 25%, covering a broader range of upgrades such as cooling systems, efficient windows and appliances. Bass said inflation is driving up the cost of energy-efficient products and of delivering power, and that larger rebates would help residents use less energy, lower their bills and reduce strain on the power grid.

The requests build on steps Bass has already taken: allowing LADWP customers to pay only what they can afford and stopping all shutoffs through the end of the year, as this site reported on October 21. Beginning next month, LADWP will also give every residential customer more detailed information about electricity and water usage, and expand outreach for bill assistance programs including Lifeline, EZ-Save and Level Pay.