Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is announcing temporary relief for Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers facing spiking utility bills. On Tuesday, Bass rolled out her three-part plan. First, customers can just pay what they can afford right now. Second, Bass is asking the utility’s board to pause power shutoffs through the end of the year for customers struggling with higher bills. And third, starting next month, customers will receive information about their electricity usage to help them conserve energy. Bass is also encouraging residents to enroll in the Level Pay program, which spreads costs over 12 months to make bills more predictable. Bass says people shouldn’t have to choose between staying cool and paying their bill. KTLA reports the sky-high utility bills have become a hot-button topic in the Mayor’s race ahead of November’s election.
