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DWP, sanitation say meters destroyed in fires will not be billed while unreadable; city to pause collections and offer payment plans
Summary
DWP and Sanitation told the committee they are pausing billing and collections for meters destroyed in the January fires, will clean and inspect meter boxes before resuming reads, and will offer extended payment arrangements to impacted customers.
The Department of Water & Power (DWP) and the Bureau of Sanitation briefed the committee on policies for utility billing after the January fires. Staff said meters destroyed or removed by the fire will not generate new consumption bills until meters are read again and that the city will pause automated billing and collections for impacted accounts.
Nut graf: Officials said the pause is intended to avoid disputed estimated bills for customers displaced by the fires; the agencies said they will provide notice and extended payment plan options for customers who later receive large bills.
DWP staff explained that where meters were destroyed the last recorded reads will stand until crews can safely access and clean meter boxes and obtain new reads. DWP said approximately half of the customers in the impacted area had meters destroyed; staff reported that 9,300 meters were damaged and about 8,474 customer accounts are affected (the numbers are not in a strict one-to-one relationship because buildings can have multiple meters). City staff told the committee that the department will hold off on billing for those accounts while it verifies meter status and that the department’s information‑technology team is preparing to remove usage from billing until a new read is obtained.
DWP also said customers with rooftop solar will retain banked credits if they rebuild on the same site; staff said legal constraints limit transferring solar credits to properties outside the service territory and suggested cash credit options where permissible. For electric billing there is a 180‑day requirement for certain actions; DWP staff said they are coordinating with the City Attorney to ensure compliance and to give customers needed flexibility.
The Bureau of Sanitation described how its service charges and solid‑waste fees are being handled and said it is working with the city’s insurance and finance staff to seek reimbursement for lost revenue where applicable. Sanitation staff said service charges for accounts that were not consuming services will be addressed on a case‑by‑case basis and the bureau will exercise discretion where warranted.
DWP and Sanitation said they will notify affected customers in writing about their account options, halt billing for destroyed meters until remediation, and offer extended payment plans for larger bills that result when service resumes.
Ending: Committee members thanked utility staff and asked for continued coordination with recovery teams; the committee received and filed the utilities report.
