DWP Bills Double, Triple For Some Angelenos After Record Summer Heat

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles residents are facing soaring utility bills following a record-hot summer, with some reporting charges double or triple their usual amounts as city officials call for an investigation into the increases.

Some customers have seen their Los Angeles Department of Water and Power bills jump hundreds or even thousands of dollars, KTLA reported. The owners of the iconic Canter's Deli in the Fairfax District received a $35,700 bill, nearly $11,000 more than four months earlier, according to the Los Angeles Times.

More than 32,000 people have signed an online petition calling for the city to investigate the increases and adjust its electricity pricing tiers.

DWP attributed the higher bills largely to increased electricity use during the record-breaking summer heat. Customers who use more electricity are charged higher rates under the utility's tiered pricing system.

However, electricity rates have also increased substantially. DWP's lowest-tier residential rate rose 23% between January 2025 and October 2026, from 22 cents to 27 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to the Times.

The issue has also entered the Los Angeles mayoral race.

City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who is challenging Mayor Karen Bass, announced Monday that she wants to audit LADWP, require utility officials to publicly justify rate increases and modernize the city's utility infrastructure, ABC 7 reported.

City Controller Kenneth Mejia has also pledged to investigate the rising bills.

Bass' campaign quickly pushed back against Raman's criticism, noting that the councilmember voted to increase sewer and trash fees in 2025, according to the Times.

In a statement Tuesday, Bass said she has asked the DWP board to suspend water and electricity shutoffs through the end of the year for residential customers unable to pay their bills.

Beginning in November, LADWP will also provide residential customers with information about their electricity and water usage to help them conserve energy and reduce costs, Bass said.

She encouraged residents to enroll in the utility's Level Pay program, which averages bills over 12 months, and urged eligible low-income households and seniors to consider financial assistance programs.