Amid unusually high DWP bills, board suspends shutoffs for nonpayment

The Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners moved Tuesday to immediately suspend residential water and electricity service shutoffs due to nonpayment for the rest of the year after a period of unusually high utility bills.

Though the board does not have the authority to forgive the charges, which will still be due by the end of the year, board President Allan Marks encouraged residents to enroll in programs that could help alleviate rising costs.

The move comes as complaints about unusually pricey utility bills have spread widely on social media. During Tuesday’s board meeting, several residents spoke about being surprised by high bills and called for an audit of the Department of Water and Power.

Marks said he agreed that utility bills could use more transparency.

“It’s always good to have public focus on things because it does force change,” he said.

Another commissioner, Benny Tran, said the measure was not a ceiling but “the floor of what we can do.”

According to the board’s resolution, DWP customers saw a 15% to 20% median increase in electricity use during the most recent bimonthly billing period compared with the same time last year. Unusual weather conditions played a role, officials said, with the number of extreme heat warning days tripling from five in 2025 to 15 so far this year.

But some ratepayers have called to reexamine the utility’s rate structure — saying that air conditioning is a lifeline, not a luxury, as temperatures continue to rise. Micah Reed, a San Fernando Valley resident, launched an online petition calling for an audit and relief for ratepayers after receiving a DWP bill of more than $3,300 for late July through late September. More than 39,000 people have since signed in support.

As part of the board-approved resolution, DWP will review and develop recommendations to update its electricity rate ordinance and better educate ratepayers about their bills. Marks said the current rate ordinance is out of date and hasn’t been changed in several years.

The board vote comes after Mayor Karen Bass requested that the board suspend disconnections for those who may have a hard time paying their bill.

“Angelenos are opening bills they did not expect and cannot afford, and they need relief now,” she said in a statement.

She also called for an external, independent audit into the DWP rate structure, saying it “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.”

Shortly after the vote, City Councilmember Nithya Raman, Bass’ rival for mayor, appeared with city Controller Kenneth Mejia in front of the downtown DWP building to reiterate her own call for an audit — one conducted by the controller’s office.

“On Day One, I’m going to ask Controller Mejia to audit key functions of our government, including homelessness spending and the Department of Water and Power, and I’ll make sure that his office has the resources to do it,” Raman said. “What I am asking for is transparency. If ratepayers are going to face increased costs, DWP needs to come and justify those increased costs before the council.”

Mejia said his office does not have the manpower to conduct proactive audits of the department, with only eight available auditors who are able to complete two to three audits a year. He said that he has begun to investigate DWP after reports of the high bills, but that a more proactive approach would allow for more transparency.

“What we need is constant audits, literally every year, and that’s what’s missing,” Mejia said.

Marks said he welcomed an audit, but noted the cost would fall on ratepayers. Adjusting the rate ordinance is also difficult and requires approval by the City Council, he added.

The base rates for water and power have not changed since July 2019, but pass-through adjustments can fluctuate annually to cover costs due to fuel or inflation, according to the DWP.

Timothy O’Connor, the city’s independent ratepayer advocate, previously told The Times that rate reform and increasing aid to low-income customers are difficult to enact because of Proposition 26, which limits the utility’s ability to charge for anything other than the direct cost of providing power.

O’Connor said in a statement Tuesday that the department is “overdue for an update to its power and water rates” and his office “applauds city leaders who have called for an audit of how we can make rates work better for the people and businesses of Los Angeles.”

“LADWP needs a broader affordability strategy to support its customers,” he said. “We expect a lot more details to follow, but what we are seeing is certainly a step in the right direction.”

One speaker during Tuesday’s meeting, a disabled resident of Park La Brea, said her DWP bill went from about $150 to $900 for a two-bedroom apartment she shares with her mother. Her mother is her caretaker, and their income is limited, she said.

“We’re just doing what we can to survive,” she said. “A lot of people don’t work. … There’s a lot of elderly people there too who are struggling to survive. And of course, being here in L.A., it’s just too much.”