Short answer: Most LADWP bills jumped this summer and fall for four reasons:
- Extreme heat pushed air-conditioning use into LADWP’s most expensive tier.
- Adjustment factors that LADWP updates every quarter raised the per-kWh price compared with 2025.
- Your Power Access Charge is based on your highest-use month, so a hot summer can keep it high for a year.
- Some homes are on the wrong rate plan, or have a billing or meter error.
This guide shows how to tell which one is driving your bill and what you can do about it.
What happened in 2026
- The heat lasted for months. In late August, Van Nuys was forecast to reach 107°F, above its 105°F record, and Woodland Hills was forecast to reach 111°F (Patch). Then Downtown Los Angeles hit 104°F on October 5, beating a record from 1953 (LA Magazine).
- Bills spiked. One San Fernando Valley family got a September bill of about $3,300 after keeping the thermostat at 74°F. It was more than $600 higher than the same period last year (CBS Los Angeles).
- The City is looking into it. City Controller Kenneth Mejia opened an investigation into the high bills, and the City’s Office of Public Accountability is reviewing the wider billing system (LA Magazine).
- LADWP’s response was Level Pay. LADWP is urging customers to sign up for it (LADWP News). Level Pay spreads your yearly cost into equal monthly payments. It makes bills predictable but does not lower what you pay for electricity (LA Magazine).
How LADWP sets its rates
LADWP is a city-owned utility. It is not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) the way Southern California Edison is. Its electric rates are set by City of Los Angeles ordinances (LADWP), and rate changes go through the LADWP Board of Commissioners and the City Council (Office of Public Accountability).
Your bill has two parts:
| Part of your rate | Who approves it | How often it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Base energy rate | City Council, through the Electric Rate Ordinance and Incremental Electric Rate Ordinance. Current base rates took effect July 1, 2019 (LADWP) | Only when Council passes a new rate ordinance |
| Adjustment factors (energy cost, reliability, renewables and others) | Formulas written into those ordinances. The LADWP Board of Water and Power Commissioners approves many of the costs that flow through them (LADWP) | Every January, April, July and October (LADWP) |
This explains why your rate can go up even when no new rate increase makes the news:
- Some increases need no Council vote. On June 9, 2026, the Board approved reliability spending for July 2026 through June 2027. LADWP’s own resolution says City Council approval is not required for that step. LADWP estimates it adds about $4.29 a month for a median home using 300 kWh a month (LADWP Board resolution).
- Earlier increases add up. In September 2025, Board-approved spending raised the median residential electric bill by roughly 2.7% (Office of Public Accountability).
- The City’s Ratepayer Advocate reviews rates. The Office of Public Accountability is an independent City department that checks whether LADWP’s proposed increases are reasonable (OPA).
Compared with SCE: Southern California Edison is investor-owned. To raise rates, it has to file with the CPUC and get approval. LADWP answers to the City of Los Angeles instead. (See our companion guide, Why Is My SCE Bill So High?)
Rates compared with 2025
Total price per kWh on the Standard Residential Rate (R-1A), including adjustment factors and excluding taxes (LADWP):
| Period | Tier 1 2025 → 2026 | Tier 2 2025 → 2026 | Tier 3 2025 → 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| July–September | 24.3¢ → 26.4¢ (+8.6%) | 30.2¢ → 32.3¢ | 38.9¢ → 41.0¢ (+5.4%) |
| October–December | 24.6¢ → 27.3¢ (+10.9%) | 30.5¢ → 33.2¢ | 30.5¢ → 33.2¢ |
How LADWP tiers work
On the Standard Residential Rate (R-1A), your price depends on your zone, the season, and how much you use. The more you use in a billing period, the higher the price for each additional kWh (LADWP).
- Zone 1 covers the cooler parts of the city.
- Zone 2 covers the hotter parts. Most of the San Fernando Valley falls in Zone 2.
Check your bill to confirm your zone.
Tier limits
| Tier | Zone 1, monthly | Zone 1, every 2 months | Zone 2, monthly | Zone 2, every 2 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | First 350 kWh | First 700 kWh | First 500 kWh | First 1,000 kWh |
| Tier 2 | Next 700 kWh | Next 1,400 kWh | Next 1,000 kWh | Next 2,000 kWh |
| Tier 3 | Above 1,050 kWh | Above 2,100 kWh | Above 1,500 kWh | Above 3,000 kWh |
Source: LADWP Residential Electric Rates
Seasons
- High season is June through September. This is the only time Tier 3 costs more than Tier 2.
- Low season is October through May. Tiers 2 and 3 are billed at the same price.
- Bills that cross seasons are split. If your billing period spans both, LADWP prorates your usage and tier limits by the number of days in each (LADWP).
Example: a Valley home in a hot summer
This example uses a Zone 2 home billed every two months, using 4,000 kWh in July–September 2026, with prices from LADWP’s rate page:
| Block | kWh | Price | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 1,000 | $0.26408 | $264.08 |
| Tier 2 | 2,000 | $0.32267 | $645.34 |
| Tier 3 | 1,000 | $0.40968 | $409.68 |
| Power Access Charge (Tier 3, 2 months) | $22.70 × 2 | $45.40 | |
| Electric total before taxes | ≈ $1,364 |
Your highest-tier usage costs about 55% more per kWh than your first 1,000 kWh. Air conditioning is usually the last load added in summer, so it is the part billed at that highest price.
The Power Access Charge
The Power Access Charge is a monthly fixed fee:
| Tier | Monthly charge |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | $2.30 |
| Tier 2 | $7.90 |
| Tier 3 | $22.70 |
Source: LADWP
The catch: LADWP sets this charge every October 1 based on your highest-use month in the past 12 months (LADWP). One heat wave that pushed you into Tier 3 can keep you at the $22.70 charge for the next year, even after the weather cools.
What LA homeowners are saying, and what’s true
Neighborhood threads filled up with high-bill complaints in October 2026. These are the most common claims, checked against LADWP and City sources.
“Rates went up 16% in a year and a half.”
Partly true. The jump looks bigger when you compare a winter bill with a summer bill. Comparing the same season in both years:
– July–September: Tier 1 rose from 24.3¢ to 26.4¢, up 8.6%.
– October–December: Tier 1 rose from 24.6¢ to 27.3¢, up 10.9%.
Source: LADWP
“It’s the tiers.”
The tier limits didn’t change from 2025 to 2026. They’re still 350 and 500 kWh a month for Tier 1 in Zones 1 and 2 (LADWP). What changed is the heat. A hotter summer pushed more of each home’s usage into Tier 3.
“The City Council raised my electric rate.”
Not this year. The 2026 increases came mostly from quarterly adjustment factors and spending approved by the LADWP board. The Council sets base rates, which haven’t changed since 2019. See the rate-approval section above.
“My trash bill went up 50%.”
True, and it’s separate from electricity. In October 2025, the City Council approved a new Solid Resources Fee (LA Sanitation):
| Effective | Single-family fee per month |
|---|---|
| November 2025 | $55.95 |
| July 1, 2026 | $59.53 ($119.06 per two-month bill) |
| July 1, 2027 | $60.44 (scheduled) |
| July 1, 2028 | $63.27 (scheduled) |
| July 1, 2029 | $65.93 (scheduled) |
The fee is charged even if your home produces little trash, because it also pays for other LA Sanitation services (LA Sanitation). Customers enrolled in EZ-SAVE get 30% off.
“Someone is investigating this.”
Yes. The City Controller opened an investigation into the high bills, and the Office of Public Accountability is reviewing the billing system (CBS Los Angeles).
Your bill covers more than electricity
Your LADWP bill can include power, water, sewer and trash. LADWP collects the sewer and trash charges on behalf of LA Sanitation, and the City Council recently approved increases to both (Office of Public Accountability). Hot, dry months also mean more watering, which pushes water use into higher-priced tiers too.
Before you blame the electric rate, check each section of the bill separately.
Are you on the right rate plan?
LADWP offers two main residential plans (LADWP):
- R-1A Standard (tiered). Your price depends on how much you use.
- R-1B Time-of-Use. Your price depends on when you use it, plus a $12 monthly service charge.
R-1B Time-of-Use prices, July–September 2026
| Period | Hours | Price per kWh |
|---|---|---|
| High Peak | Weekdays 1:00–4:59 p.m. | 35.1¢ |
| Low Peak | Weekdays 10:00 a.m.–12:59 p.m. and 5:00–7:59 p.m. | 29.3¢ |
| Base | Weekdays 8:00 p.m.–9:59 a.m., plus all weekend | 26.5¢ |
Sources: LADWP hours, LADWP prices
LADWP says you may be a good fit for Time-of-Use if:
- your bill regularly reaches Tier 3, or
- you have solar and keep building up unused credits (LADWP).
Time-of-Use tends to work for homes that can move pool pumps, EV charging and some air conditioning to evenings and weekends. It can cost more if most of your use falls between 1 and 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Before switching, compare 12 months of your own usage under both plans.
Questions about Time-of-Use: LADWP Rates Group, (213) 367-4718.
Have solar? Time-of-Use usually makes more of your credits
Once a home goes solar, the rate plan decides how much of the bill your banked net-metering credits can actually pay. LADWP’s own rates FAQ explains the difference (LADWP Rates FAQ):
- On R-1A Standard, banked credits apply only to the Energy Charge, and only when that charge is above the minimum charge of $10 a month, or $20 every two months.
- On R-1B Time-of-Use, banked credits apply to all LADWP charges: the service charge, the energy charge and every adjustment factor (ECA, ESA, VEA, CRPSEA, VRPSEA, IRCA and RCA). Only taxes are excluded.
Why the difference is so big: on the standard plan, the Energy Charge is just the base rate, and the base rate is a small share of the total price per kWh. The rest is adjustment factors, which credits can’t pay on R-1A.
| R-1A, July–September 2026 | Base energy charge (credits can pay this) | Total price per kWh | Share credits can cover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 7.1¢ | 26.4¢ | about 27% |
| Tier 2 | 13.0¢ | 32.3¢ | about 40% |
| Tier 3 | 21.7¢ | 41.0¢ | about 53% |
Prices are from LADWP’s rate page. For most of a solar home’s usage, Tier 1, banked credits on the standard plan can pay only about 27–30% of the per-kWh cost. The other 70% or so is adjustment factors you still owe, plus the Power Access Charge and the minimum charge. That’s how solar homeowners end up with a large credit balance and still get a bill.
Credit value also differs. On R-1B, credits are earned at the price of the time period when your solar produces them. Power you send out from 1 to 5 p.m. on summer weekdays is credited at the High Peak price, about 35¢ per kWh, and can then be applied to your whole bill except taxes (LADWP Rates FAQ).
This is why LADWP tells solar customers who keep banking credits to consider R-1B (LADWP).
How to switch: existing solar customers can call the LADWP Rates Section at (213) 367-4718 and ask to be placed on the optional R-1B rate. LADWP will email, fax or mail you a request form (LADWP Rates FAQ).
Check first: Time-of-Use works best when your solar covers weekday afternoons and you can move big loads like EV charging, pool pumps and laundry to nights and weekends. Before switching, have your 12 months of usage modeled under both plans.
Discount programs
If you qualify, check these before anything else (LADWP):
- EZ-Save: income-qualified, up to $16.34 off every two months.
- Electric Lifeline: seniors or customers with disabilities who meet income limits, up to $35.42 off every two months.
Could it be a billing error?
High bills are not always caused by usage. LADWP’s Customer Bill of Rights says (LADWP):
- Bills over three times your usual use for the same billing period are reviewed automatically.
- Meter-reading errors: if a bad read caused a bill three times your usual use, LADWP corrects it and gives you a $25 bill credit.
- Defective meters must be replaced within 90 days of being reported.
What to check on your bill
- Actual or estimated read? An estimated read can be “caught up” later as one large bill.
- Billing period length. A 65-day period will look bigger than a 59-day one.
- Zone and rate schedule. Make sure the zone and plan (R-1A or R-1B) are what you expect.
- Usage history. Compare this period’s kWh with the same period last year.
- Each service separately. Look at power, water, sewer and trash one at a time.
If something looks wrong, contact LADWP first:
- Phone: 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397)
- Online: LADWP billing and account issues
If that does not resolve it, the Office of Public Accountability has guidance on disputes.
Example: a real LADWP solar bill, explained
This is a summer 2026 bill from a Zone 2 home with solar on Time-of-Use (R-1B). The account number has been removed.
Bill details:
– Billing period: July 25 to September 22, 2026 (59 days, all high season)
– Zone: 2
– Rate schedule: R-1 Rate B, Time-of-Use, with net metering
Step 1: Meter readings
The meter tracks power taken from the grid (“Delivered”) and solar power sent to the grid (“Received”) separately for each time period. Each line is the current read minus the previous read.
| Period | Delivered from grid | Sent to grid | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Peak (1–5 p.m. weekdays) | 204 kWh | 225 kWh | −21 kWh |
| Low Peak | 369 kWh | 444 kWh | −75 kWh |
| Base (nights and weekends) | 919 kWh | 537 kWh | +382 kWh |
| Total | 286 kWh |
The solar sends more to the grid than the home uses during the day, which is why High Peak and Low Peak are negative. The home still draws power at night and on weekends, so Base comes out positive.
Step 2: Charges
| Line | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Service charge | $12 × 2 months | $24.00 |
| High Peak | −21 kWh × $0.35048 | −$7.36 |
| Low Peak | −75 kWh × $0.2928 | −$21.96 |
| Base | 382 kWh × $0.26542 | $101.39 |
| Subtotal electric | $96.07 | |
| City utility tax | 10% × $96.07 | $9.61 |
| State energy surcharge | 286 kWh × $0.0003 | $0.09 |
| NEM bank withdrawal | Banked solar credit applied | −$96.07 |
| Amount due | $9.70 |
What this bill shows
- Daytime exports are credited at the full Time-of-Use price. Each kWh sent out during High Peak earned 35¢. Under LADWP net metering, solar power is worth the same as the power you buy back in the same time period.
- On Time-of-Use, credits paid everything except taxes. Banked credit covered the $24 service charge and all the energy charges, including adjustment factors. Only the $9.70 in taxes was left, because LADWP doesn’t let banked credits pay taxes (LADWP Rates FAQ). On the R-1A Standard plan, the same credit could have paid only the base energy charge. This home would have also owed the adjustment factors, the Power Access Charge and the minimum charge.
- A large credit balance is a warning sign. This home’s net-metering bank ended the period at $927.95. LADWP zeroes out leftover credits if you close your account, and doesn’t pay cash for them. A balance this large usually means the system makes more than the home uses. Adding an EV, a heat pump or other electric appliances puts that credit to use. Adding more panels would not.
- Check every meter line. This bill shows a Base “Delivered” current read (29802) that is lower than the previous read (29883), yet it bills 919 kWh. The 919 kWh only works if the previous read was 28883, so this is probably a typo on the printed bill. Compare it with the current read on your last bill. If the numbers don’t match, call LADWP and ask for a review.
How solar and batteries help LADWP customers
LADWP still offers net energy metering: power your system sends to the grid earns a credit at your rate plan’s energy price (EcoGen America). A few details matter:
- Unused credits roll forward to later bills.
- Credits don’t pay everything. They can’t be used for taxes or minimum charges.
- Leftover credits are lost if you close your account (LADWP).
What this means in practice
- Solar takes care of the most expensive power first. It reduces the usage that falls into Tiers 2 and 3, and that is what made 2026’s summer bills so painful.
- Size the system to your usage. Credits beyond what you use go to waste, so build around your real 12-month usage, not your highest bill.
- Batteries keep you running in outages and cover peak hours. They power essential circuits during heat-related outages, and on Time-of-Use you can run on battery during the 1–5 p.m. High Peak window.
- Lower peak use keeps the Power Access Charge down. Keeping your highest month out of Tier 3 avoids the yearly reset to $22.70.
Quick checklist for a high bill
- ☐ Compare this period’s kWh with the same period in 2025.
- ☐ Confirm the read was actual, not estimated, and check the number of days billed.
- ☐ Confirm your zone and rate plan (R-1A or R-1B).
- ☐ Look at power, water, sewer and trash separately.
- ☐ Check whether a summer spike moved your Power Access Charge to Tier 3.
- ☐ Check eligibility for EZ-Save or Lifeline.
- ☐ Ask LADWP for a review if the bill is far above your normal use.
- ☐ Consider Level Pay to smooth payments. It won’t lower your cost.
- ☐ Get a solar or battery estimate based on your actual 12-month usage.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my LADWP bill go up when I didn’t use more power?
Adjustment factors change every quarter. In October–December 2026, the Tier 1 price is 27.3¢/kWh, compared with 24.6¢ a year earlier (LADWP). Water, sewer and trash charges can also rise on the same bill.
Does the City Council vote on every LADWP increase?
No. Base rates are set by Council ordinance. Adjustment factors move automatically under formulas in those ordinances, and some of the spending behind them is approved by the Board of Water and Power Commissioners without a Council vote (LADWP).
Am I in Zone 1 or Zone 2?
Your bill shows your zone. Zone 2 covers the hotter parts of the city and gets larger tier limits (LADWP).
Is Time-of-Use cheaper?
Only if you can shift use away from weekday afternoons. Homes that regularly reach Tier 3, and solar homes that keep building up credits, are the best candidates (LADWP).
Will Level Pay lower my bill?
No. It spreads your cost across 12 equal payments (LADWP News).
I have solar. Should I switch to Time-of-Use?
Often, yes. On R-1A Standard, banked credits can pay only the base energy charge, which is about 27–30% of the Tier 1 price. On R-1B Time-of-Use, credits can pay every LADWP charge except taxes (LADWP Rates FAQ). Call (213) 367-4718 to request R-1B, but have your usage modeled first.
Does LADWP still have net metering for solar?
Yes. Exported power is credited at your rate plan’s energy price, and credits roll forward to later bills (LADWP).
Get a free LADWP bill review
Send us your last 12 months of LADWP bills. AWS Solar will:
- show you which tier and which season are driving your cost,
- check whether R-1A or R-1B fits your usage better, and
- size solar or a battery to your real usage, with no pressure to buy.
Request a free LADWP bill review →
Rates shown are LADWP published totals excluding taxes, current as of October 2026. Adjustment factors change every quarter; check LADWP’s residential rates page for current prices.