Los Angeles utility bills spark outrage as residents demand LADWP audit and summer rate relief

LOS ANGELES - Soaring summer utility bills have ignited widespread frustration across Los Angeles, sending social media into an uproar and thrusting the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) into the spotlight of the Los Angeles mayoral race.

Following weeks of mounting public anger, LADWP commissioners addressed ratepayers on Tuesday, promising greater transparency and a commitment to finding ways to lower costs.

What we know:

The surge in complaints gained significant momentum after Micah Reed, a San Fernando Valley resident, went viral after sharing his more than $3,300 utility bill for September. He started a petition calling for an independent audit and summer rate relief. He took the petition, which has nearly 40,000 signatures, to the LADWP Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.

"LADWP just decided that I pay my mortgage twice this month," Reed said in his viral post several weeks ago.

Other residents echoed similar shock over their recent statements. "It just started going up, $700, $800, one time it was $1,000, and it just doesn’t make sense," said Los Angeles resident Daisy Gomez. "We don’t even have grass, we don’t have air conditioning," she added.

LADWP leadership responds

At Tuesday’s board meeting, LADWP Board of Commissioners President Allan Marks acknowledged the growing concerns and welcomed external oversight.

"This commission’s job is not to sit back and say we’re doing everything fine," Marks said. He later stated, "Our job is not to say we don’t want audits; we do. I think more audits are great."

Marks added that he supports, overall, what the mayor’s office has called for when it comes to relief and transparency.

Utility bills become key issue in mayoral race

The controversy has quickly become a central issue in the Los Angeles mayoral race, with Mayor Karen Bass and opponent Councilmember Nithya Raman trading political jabs.

Mayor Karen Bass called for an independent, outside audit of LADWP’s rate structure and urged the board to deliver immediate financial relief to affected households.

However, Councilmember Nithya Raman criticized the mayor’s timing and outlined her own proposal to address the crisis.

"Angelenos elected an auditor, your city controller, whose job it is to follow your money," Raman said, proposing a full audit in conjunction with the City Controller’s Office.

"The bills didn’t just become unaffordable this week," Raman later said. "Families have been struggling; businesses have been speaking out."

Raman accused Bass of acting on this issue in the final weeks of the campaign, prompting a swift response from the mayor’s campaign team.

In a statement released Tuesday, Bass’ campaign pushed back, claiming Raman had years to address DWP issues during her tenure on the City Council. The campaign pointed out that, "In 2025, Raman voted to raise trash collection fees that Angelenos pay on their DWP bills."

Relief and what’s next for ratepayers

Despite the political back-and-forth, affected residents emphasize that calling for an audit is only a starting point.

"I have three questions: Who will conduct it, when will it start, and will the results be made public?" Reed said during the public comment period of Tuesday’s board meeting.

In a recent release, Mayor Bass’ office shared a list of steps she and her office have taken to offer relief on energy bills. The release stated in part:

"The board should direct the department to go beyond raising the visibility of the Level Pay program. LADWP should offer an incentive to enroll and consider auto-enrolling customers, so families are not blindsided by the bill shock we have seen over the past few weeks.

"Finally, I am calling on the board to boost the department’s energy efficiency rebate program by 25%. Inflation is driving up the cost of energy-efficient home products and of delivering power. This 25% increase should cover a broader range of upgrades, such as cooling systems, efficient windows and appliances. Enhanced rebates will help Angelenos use less energy, lower their bills and reduce strain on the power grid.

"These requests build on the steps I have already taken: allowing LADWP customers to pay only what they can afford and stopping all shutoffs through the end of the year. Beginning next month, LADWP will provide every residential customer with more detailed information about their electricity and water usage, so they can see how they use these utilities and how to conserve. LADWP is also expanding outreach to ratepayers to promote bill assistance programs, including Lifeline, EZ-Save and Level Pay."

"I thank Commission President Allan Marks and the entire board for moving quickly and delivering relief for Los Angeles’ ratepayers."

The Los Angeles City Controller’s Office says it continues its ongoing investigation of LADWP rates while exploring a potential in-depth audit.

City Controller Kenneth Mejia has endorsed Raman for mayor. Raman pledged to fully fund and restore Mejia’s oversight authority.

"If the mayor is serious about continuous transparency and accountability on our tax dollars, she should fund the independent watchdog elected by the people, instead of spending millions on outside companies that are not beholden to the people of Los Angeles," Mejia said in a release this week.