The bill is LADWP's primary touchpoint that reaches every customer, including those who will not (or cannot) use an online portal. It is also where the utility's other investments become visible or stay invisible: AMI data, modernized rates, and assistance programs deliver value to customers only if the bill communicates them. However, workshop participants consistently described bills that confused more than they informed — and that became harder to understand the more closely they were examined. That confusion carries real costs, driving service calls, billing disputes, and doubts about meter accuracy itself. LADWP’s planned customer system modernizations create natural opportunities to redesign the bill not as a cosmetic refresh, but as the customer-facing interface for a core element in the meter-to-cash experience.
Opportunities for LADWP to consider:
- Conduct a customer-centered bill redesign — informed by direct customer engagement — that helps make the bill actionable, explains rates and bill changes, and suggests personalized program offerings
- Make LADWP programs that offer payment support the visible default when customers fall behind, rather than something customers must discover and request — for example, by displaying active payment agreements directly on the bill, piloting mobile-first payment plan tools, or treating entry into collections as a trigger for customer segment-specific interventions
- Publish plain-language, multilingual explainers of key customer protections in the Rules Governing Water and Electric Service, including billing and metering dispute processes