Angelenos demand LADWP audit over rising bills and overtime payouts

Los Angeles residents confronted the Board of Water and Power Commissioners on Tuesday to protest soaring utility bills, the New York Post reported. Protesters delivered a petition with 39,000 signatures demanding an independent audit of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, specifically targeting massive employee overtime payouts. [1]

According to the New York Post, utility customers described receiving bills ranging into hundreds and thousands of dollars. San Fernando Valley resident Micah Reed received a bill totaling $3,322.01, which included $2,114.52 in electricity charges. Reed launched a Change.org petition seeking summer rate relief alongside the audit. [1]

The public anger follows actions taken by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who instructed the department to pause water and electricity shutoffs through the end of the year for residents unable to pay, as FTMQ News reported earlier. The pause was ordered after record heat led to increased utility charges across the city. [3]

FTMQ News reported earlier that billing disputes have faced the utility before, including a case where a retired couple received a bill exceeding $9,200 after a broken utility meter led to years of incorrect readings. The current outrage comes as the city-owned utility continues to urge customers to conserve water and power. [1][4]