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Longtime public commenter urges commission to study energy affordability and consider monthly billing, prepay meters
Summary
Herbert Molano told the commission two-thirds of Glendale residents live in multifamily housing and urged study of energy cost impacts on low-income households, recommending monthly billing options and prepaid metering pilots to reduce delinquencies and promote conservation.
Herbert Molano, a frequent public speaker to the commission, urged officials to devote attention to energy affordability. Molano said an analysis he obtained via the California Public Records Act shows "0.667 of the population of Glendale lives in multifamily housing" and that the city's most recent poverty figure was about 13 percent. He said COVID-era moratoria and the end of those protections left many households with long arrears and high delinquency days.
Molano proposed several remedies for the commission to consider, including a dedicated study session on energy costs for low‑income households and billing changes. He told commissioners that studies show billing frequency matters: "if residents received a monthly bill as opposed to a my bimonthly bill, the number of delinquencies dropped significantly." He also suggested reviving prepaid smart‑meter pilots used elsewhere so customers can monitor and manage usage in dollars, and argued the commission should consider those tools alongside technology investments that tend to focus on infrastructure rather than affordability.
