Why Does LADWP Penalize For Using Less Electricity?

Caregiving is very hard, and as she aged, the caregiving became much more difficult. But I consider myself fortunate that I had her as long as I did. 

Caregiving requires a lot of resources, and as the person being cared for ages, more resources are needed. 

Like many elderly she had falls, with some requiring a trip to the ER and hospitalization. She would get up at night and walk through the home, and to avoid falls lights usually turned off to save electricity burned through the night for her safety. While this used electricity, that amount of electricity used is much less than the electricity used for ER visits, hospitalizations, rehab and other actions of care for her health should she fall again. And, I certainly did not want her to fall. 

Then there is the body slowly closing down. Seniors are often cold, so I would run the forced air heater more than I liked, but I wanted to keep my Mom comfortable and healthy. 

On the LADWP bill there is the section, “Your Electric Usage by Tier.” This is a horizontal, rectangular box divided into three unequal parts: From left to right Tier 1 is the shortest box and the lowest electric use; Tier 2 is longer meaning greater electricity use; and Tier 3 for the greatest electrical use is the longest.  

A solid colored blue bar showing electricity use runs left to right across the tiers in the middle of the horizontal box.  

Leaving on lights throughout the night for my Mom’s safety, and running the heater for hours longer to keep her warm, caused the Electric Charges of the LADWP to go into the Tier 2 box resulting in higher charges. I accepted that. But the blue line, the charges, went about one-quarter into the Tier 2 portion of the box, so I was not using a great amount of electricity. 

With the death of my Mom, I no longer needed to run those lights all night. For years I have used energy efficient CFL and LED bulbs which are great savers of electricity, lowers the electrify bills, and reduces carbon gases used in generating electricity, so for the first bill after her death I expected a lower bill. 

This happened with the first LADWP bill after her death, but I was confused by “Power Access Charge Tier 2” of $15.80 when my electrical use for the billing cycle was only in Tier 1. I thought this could just be a lapse in the infamous LADWP billing program and expected the “Power Access Charge Tier 2” would not be an issue next billing cycle. 

I also turned down the thermostat and lived in a colder home to save electricity, and to save using natural gas whose price has greatly increased this winter. Life inside wearing sweaters and pullovers became the new, modern lifestyle, one I would most certainly would not have pursued had my Mom been alive. 

Then came the most recent LDWP bill, dated March 28, 2022, and the bar for my electricity use was much shorter in Tier 1. Indeed, last year in a comparable bill there was a 54 day billing cycle with the total KW (kilowatts) used at 601. This most recent bill in a 59 day billing cycle was 428 KW used.  

I achieved a good reduction of electricity use, and a lower LADWP bill. Yet, on the most recent bill I was still charged $15.80 for “Power Access Charge Tier 2” when the blur bar had not been in Tier 2 for two bi-monthly billing cycles. 

I called the LADWP phone number on the bill, explained the situation, and was told by the nice service representative that this is common practice. It seems that since I was once in the Tier 2, higher charge area, and even though I was now firmly out of the Tier 2 box into the lower charge Tier 1, I would continue to be charged the “Power Access Charge Tier 2”. 

When asked how long this would take continue the service rep did not have the answer. 

So, I reduce my electricity use, and I am still charged for earlier time spent in the penalty box of Tier 2? Why am I being penalized by LADWP for using less electricity? 

(Matthew Hetz is a Los Angeles native. He is a transit rider and advocate, a composer, music instructor, and member and President and Executive Director of the Culver City Symphony Orchestra.)