Customer Reflections Summary |
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Building on participants’ concerns about unpredictable billing outcomes, customers consistently expressed a desire for clearer explanations of how LADWP calculates their bills and why charges change over time.
Both the Listening Sessions and Solutions Summits dedicated efforts to collecting reflections on customer billing experiences. Paying the bill is the most significant interaction between LADWP and its customers. While customers understood the most important element of their bill – their bi-monthly due date – other elements lacked sufficient context or accessibility measures.
Access to clearer and more actionable information emerged as closely tied to customers’ sense of control over their utility expenses. During a ranked voting exercise at the Listening Sessions, participants most frequently requested their bills include: (1) more detailed information about water and electricity usage, (2) clear guidance on ways to reduce costs, and (3) accessible information about bill assistance programs. Participants also wanted more user-friendly and explanatory materials, such as “mock” or sample bills that walk through each charge and demonstrate how LADWP calculates costs, callout section on “why your bill changed”, and more plain-language explanations on bills.
To better understand what customers wanted out of their bills, facilitators at the Solutions Summits walked customers through a hands-on bill activity. Participants examined a sample LADWP bill and provided feedback to make the bill more suited to their needs. Their responses were consistent across all three communities: customers wanted their bills to explain costs changes and suggest how to respond.
Most participants only examined the first page of their bill, with two participants independently noting that the bill activity station had been "the most amount of time I've ever looked at the bill" — and that the more they reviewed it, the more confused they became. Feedback spanned across many considerations, but all requests centered around improving clarity and design, including more relevant information explaining how usage impacts their bills.
Clarification on the tiered pricing model consistently emerged as an area where greater detail may benefit customers seeking more control over their cost and usage. The owner and operator of a large food bank and shelter expressed frustration that his bill buried their cost information in small print, noting that "nobody reads the glossary of terms — it's “too much”. Customers felt that bills did not explain how the system worked, why their usage had been classified as it was, and wanted information on what they could do differently.
Participants consistently asked for daily usage breakdowns rather than monthly averages, mid-cycle tracking tools, alerts when approaching a higher tier or when consumption rises compared to the past cycle, and a clear explanation on the bill of why charges changed from one period to the next. Several attendees flagged the need for more visible information on installment plans, assistance programs, and eligibility information directly on the bill itself, rather than in secondary pages. These preferences reflect a desire for more proactive and continuous visibility, and an opportunity for bills to function as a resource for decision-making, not just a record of charges.
Reverend Dr. Timothy Tyler of First AME Church also observed some of the necessary conditions to support his congregation, particularly older adults, who may not understand some of the more basic elements of the bill, likening it to “rocket science” but also identifying opportunities to empower his community to have more control over their bill.
Across all sessions, one-on-one walkthroughs made a meaningful difference — participants who received hands-on explanations left more informed. For example, a couple at the Lincoln Heights meeting did not know their bill displayed usage patterns. Once they understood what the usage related graphs meant, they realized their conservation efforts had been able to keep them in the Tier 1 electric rate all year, including during the warmest months. They left feeling more empowered and relieved. While customers left the activity more confident in their ability to digest their bill, full understanding of their bills required individualized attention which points to a greater accessibility issue.
When customers cannot easily understand, verify, or anticipate their bills, it diminishes their sense of control, and raises questions about whether charges and meter readings are correct. Across the sessions, participants expressed varying degrees of skepticism about the accuracy and fairness of their bill. When asked how much they trust that their LADWP bill is correct, a substantial share reported some level of doubt, while others said they do not trust the bill at all.
This uncertainty was often linked to unexpected bill spikes customers did not understand. In some cases, this led participants to question how LADWP conducts meter readings and whether those readings accurately reflect household water and power usage. Antonio, a participant who attended the West Adams Listening Session, reported attempting to verify his usage independently by photographing his meter and tracking his consumption, but described difficulty obtaining clear responses or resolution through customer service channels. He also expressed taking steps to conserve water but did not see that translate to lower bills.
On occasion, participants identified discrepancies between meter readings and billed usage. Even when participants expressed satisfaction with the resulting bill adjustment, sentiments of distrust often persisted. The billing experience reflects a broader pattern: when information is difficult to find, hard to understand, or unavailable in a customer's language, the bill becomes a barrier rather than a bridge which can potentially lead to broader mistrust about LADWP.