LADWP Bill Of Rights

Update January 17, 2017

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved a “customer bill of rights” backed by Mayor Eric Garcetti and criticized by some leaders from neighborhood councils, but also moved to open up public comment and revisit the bill of rights in about 90 days.

The commissioners unanimously approved the provisions of the bill of rights, which includes assurances that call wait times will not exceed three minutes on average; bills that exceed three times the average historic use for the same billing period will automatically be reviewed before being sent out; and requests to start a new residential account will be processed within one business day.

Customers will receive rebates or credits if the guarantees are not met. For example, if the department takes longer than 10 days after a final inspection to process a new business service connection of 200 amps or less, that business will receive a $25 credit.

The motion to reconsider the bill of rights in 90 days came from Commissioner Jill Banks Barad, who said in particular she wanted the city’s neighborhood councils to have an opportunity to weigh in on the proposal.

The bill of rights was detailed by Garcetti an hour before the LADWP commission’s meeting on Jan. 3 and was scheduled to be voted on at that session, but the vote was postponed to allow for public comment.

Some leaders of neighborhood councils were critical that the bill of rights was not given much public notice before being placed on the Board of Commissioners’ agenda.

Barad, who is also on the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, said neighborhood councils only meet once a month and generally need one to three months notice “for proper community input.”

The bill of rights does not require the approval of the Los Angeles City Council and would become active if the commission reapproves it or makes any adjustments to it in 90 days, said Amanda Parsons, media relations manager for the LADWP.

Glenn Bailey, treasurer of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition, complained on Jan. 3 that the initial bill of rights vote was scheduled without any public notice of its details.

Jack Humphreville, president of the DWP Advocacy Committee, which represents Los Angeles neighborhood councils in matters related to the department, questioned its impact and said that “it sounds good, but it is no big deal.”

When David Wright was confirmed by the council in September as the LADWP’s general manager, Garcetti said one of the first tasks he wanted him to undertake was developing and implementing a customer bill of rights.

The LADWP has been rocked publicly by a number of scandals in recent years, and the customer bill of rights directly addresses some of the problems that have emerged,  including long telephone wait times and a glitchy billing system unveiled several years ago that wildly inflated some customers’ bills.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted preliminary approval in November to a class-action settlement expected to result in at least $67.5 million refunded to LADWP customers over the billing system.

At Garcetti’s news conference on Jan. 3, LADWP officials said average call wait times had been cut to under a minute over the last 10 months.

Wright said the department is ready to stand by the bill of rights, thanks to the increased personnel that have been hired over the last two years, including 300 customer service representatives and several hundred new billers.

—City News Service

Bill of Rights Proposed

LOS ANGELES January 3, 2017— Mayor Eric Garcetti today doubled down on his commitment to improving customer service at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) by introducing the first ever LADWP Customer Bill of Rights.

The landmark document — unveiled today by Mayor Garcetti, LADWP Board President Mel Levine and LADWP General Manager David Wright — will formalize service standards for the utility, and promise safe, sustainable and reliable water and power service for all LADWP customers.

“Reliable, affordable, and accountable service from LADWP is not a privilege — it is a right that belongs to every Angeleno who relies on our utility,” said Mayor Garcetti. “The LADWP Customer Bill of Rights is a promise that we will never stop working to improve the customer experience, and a commitment to delivering the service all ratepayers should be able to expect — and always deserve.”

The LADWP Customer Bill of Rights makes four core commitments to LADWP customers: timely, clear and consistent customer service; reliable, safe and sustainable power; reliable and high-quality water; and a collaborative approach to implementing customer programs like rebates and incentives.

Each core commitment contains details about LADWP’s service philosophy in that area, as well as specific, measurable service standards. For example, the document promises customers that call wait times will not exceed three minutes on average, and that all questions sent via email will receive a response within 24 hours, or one business day.

The Bill of Rights also includes language that holds LADWP accountable if the utility fails to deliver adequate service. If a request to open a new residential account is not processed within one business day, for example, LADWP will waive the connection fee. And if LADWP takes longer than 10 days after the final inspection to process a new business service connection of 200 amps or less, that business will receive a $25 credit.

In addition, the document includes concrete commitments to making LADWP’s water and power service more sustainable.

“Residents and customers want the lights to come on, water to come out of the faucet, good customer service, and they want this at a fair cost,” said Councilmember Nury Martinez, who chairs the City Council’s Energy and Environment Committee. “Those are my minimum expectations. The Customer Bill of Rights will help ensure this quality of service for all Los Angeles residents.”

Mel Levine, President of the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, said, “LADWP’s most important responsibility is to all Angelenos and the communities it serves. The Customer Bill of Rights shows how seriously committed LADWP is to being the world-class utility and customer service provider that Los Angeles deserves.”

The Customer Bill of Rights is part of a broader effort by Mayor Garcetti to improve customer service at LADWP — an effort he has pushed aggressively since taking office in 2013. When Mayor Garcetti appointed David Wright as LADWP General Manager in August 2016, he directed Wright to make developing the Bill of Rights one of his first tasks.

“The Customer Bill of Rights reaffirms our commitment to our customers to provide excellent customer service through reliable water and power service, and accurate and timely billing,” Wright said. “This governs our work and service philosophy at LADWP.”

The Bill of Rights will be presented to the LADWP Board of Commissioners at its meeting later today.

For more information, and to view the full text of the LADWP Customer Bill of Rights, visit www.ladwp.com/customerbillofrights.