Why LADWP bills are surging for LA County customers – NBC Los Angeles

Following the summer months with triple-digit temperatures, some customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power have taken to social media to say their power and water bills have skyrocketed, creating more financial burden for homeowners and business owners.

After people in the west San Fernando Valley neighborhoods complained on Nextdoor about their surging costs, NBC Los Angeles met with some of them and learned how much more they were charged in the latest bills. 

Bruce Scott, a Woodland Hills homeowner, said his most recent bill is $600 more than the previous one. Between June 11 and Aug. 12, Scott’s bi-monthly LADWP bill was $1,500, compared to the previous balance of $926.

“It seems to have gone up 50 to 60%, and I can’t understand why because the usage wasn’t that much more,” said Scott, who also has solar panels installed at his one. “It makes me sad – I can afford it but I don’t think it’s right.”

He said the sanitation charges for sewer and solid waste was noticeably higher at $300.

“I’ve never seen that number for sewer charges. It’s always less than $100,” he said. 

Fred Moseni, a Woodland Hills ice cream shop owner, said he’s also feeling the pinch as the latest power bill  was $935.

“The one before that was $822,” said Moseni, who co-owns Milk & Sugar Time. 

Despite numerous complaints about LADWP charges, the utility’s chief financial officer maintained that there have not been base rate increases. But electricity became indeed more expensive, starting in July with an increased rate of two and half cent, to cover for higher energy costs. 

“Our bills are very much driven by weather, so if you look at the last two months, it has been hotter, August, September, versus the prior two months,” LADWP Chief Financial Officer Ann Santilli said.

The average high temperatures for Woodland Hills this year was 90.3 degrees in June, 92.2 degrees in July and 98.6 degrees in August, according to NBCLA Meteorologist Melissa Magee. The hottest day was Aug. 22 with the temps reaching 110 degrees.

Santilli explained that LADWP officials consider several factors every year before increasing rates for electrcity.

“As part of our budget, we’re looking ahead to see how much we’re going to charge for fuel, purchase power, all the costs that we have to incur to serve the customer are reliability, so we were predicting an increase in those costs,” she said.

Among the common home and business appliances, the biggest electricity users are often refrigerators, air conditioners and pool pumps, according to the LADWP executive. She added that using LED lights can help reduce the bill.

“f you’re running your AC more , which we have to sometimes because it’s warm outside, that will cause your bill to increase. And if you have a pool and your pool pump is running more, that’s another thing to look at,” she explained, emphasizing that customers must check their bills from last year and compare them to this year’s.

Adding more to the financial strain, LADWP customers will be charged more for trash, starting in November. The LA City Council approved raising trash collection fees by 54% for single-family homes, which could come out to over $55 per month.

City officials explain the sewer service charge increases took effect in the fall of 2024, March 2025 and July 2025. More increases are coming over the next three years through July 2028.

“This fee goes toward protecting Angelenos’ health and the environment by upgrading and repairing LA’s aging wastewater system and its reclamation plants,” Tonya Shelton from LA Sanitation and Environment said. 

Financial assistance may be available for households in need, according to the sanitation department.

LADWP customers who are struggling with their bills are also encouraged to reach out to as the utility offers a number of programs such as payment arrangements. 

Melissa Magee contributed to this report.