Comments on: Los Angeles Utilities

By: Stacey Marie

Stacey Marie — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 05:17:53 +0000

I’ve been living in SoCal for over a year now and have never seen a solid resources fee on my bill. Maybe my apt complex pays for it? I still pay a sanitation fee of $1.20/month but that’s about it.

I was surprised at how high my bill was for July-Aug…I have a 524 sq ft studio and I’ve only run my wall a/c for about 2 hours/night and somehow my bill ended up $98. I’m most certain I used my a/c TWICE as much than that and it was only half of the cost as this most recent one.

I was shocked.

By: karlgrouchomarx

karlgrouchomarx — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 23:22:33 +0000

only homeowners should have to pay for sanitation removal, not renters. It’s time for class revolution!

By: Robin

Robin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:02:37 +0000

Has anyone found a way to lower or discontinue the sanitation dept. fees? Is there a class action suit? I’m disabled and unable to work, and have a set income from social security, (classified as extreme poverty level by federal government), which has not increased in two years. How is it possible that the mayor and city council voted to phase out the low income fee waiver program and expect elderly, disabled, low income citizens to survive? I think voters should have a say in how the department of sanitation operates and charges. I would rather see less trash collections, less waste of funds in the operations. Many can afford to pay the fees, but many cannot. It is not an equitable system of how and what is charged. All of us are being held hostage and have to pay “fees” for services not used, because if we don’t, our electricity will be shut off.

By: Cherrie

Cherrie — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:02:26 +0000

Today I learned that I as the new owner of a small house in South Central, I have to pay the bills that were generated by former tenants of the former owner. It’s over $3000.00. DWP rep says the water & power will not be turned on until I pay the money. Has anyone ever heard of this situation?

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:40:57 +0000

Just wanted to add that I HATE THE F****** SOLID RESOURCES FEE CRAP. DAMN FEE IS GREATER THAN MY WATER AND POWER COMBINED. ON TOP OF THE EQUALLY OUTRAGEOUS SEWER SERVICE CHARGE.

By: Bea

Bea — Fri, 20 May 2011 17:36:03 +0000

I give in i’m just shelling out the cash, no use if fighting the inevitable. I took on two roomates to be able to live in LA .

By: Cynthia Villarreal

Cynthia Villarreal — Mon, 16 May 2011 23:07:50 +0000

May 5th to May 27th

3 Units/Units #3 Landlords frequent visits.
SRF $145.98
Electric: $255.15
Water: $80.46
Sanitaion Cahrges $240.12
Total: $575.73
Divides bill 2x’s $288.86/Unit #1 Front House (2)
Unit #2 Middle House $288.86 (3)
Unit #3/Landlords should pay his part SRF of $48.66/2mos. I just send him a letter he needs to start paying his part.

By: ena

ena — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 16:12:42 +0000

our bill just came in $197 for electricity, 75 for SRF (outrageous!).. no one is even home at that period of time.. we don’t have a/c and we use only the small $24 heater you buy at target. its rediculous..

let’s all move to the north carolina!! there they only pay around $120 for electricity ( with a/c, heater, tv in all 4 rooms, lights are left overnight, cooking done all the time etc) they don’t even pay for the trash… it is not a necesssity to work 3 jobs just to pay mortgage. you can still go home after work and relax in a nice countryside environment!!!

By: defrauded dwp customer

defrauded dwp customer — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 04:05:53 +0000

Last Saturday I found a shutoff notice in my mailbox, giving me 24 hours to come up with more money to pay them than I make in a whole year. Btw., my own bill did not contain a past due balance at all – this is someone else’s bill (and DWP even admits it)!!!

Had no choice but to file protective BK (I NEED my power on to do my job) and these mafiosos still shut it off. Hope they’ll all rot in jail…

By: Vera Waitress

Vera Waitress — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:50:44 +0000

Single family house.
Occupants: 2

Electric: $221.08
Water: $33.60
Sewer Service Charge: $67.05
Sewer Surcharge: $.81
City Utility Tax: $22.11
Solid Resources Fee: $76.42
State Energy Surcharge: $.41
Total: $400.77

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 04:54:46 +0000

Thanks, Ann and Jon. It’s good to know this can be dealt with.
I have lived in my duplex apt. for over 30 years. For the first time this month my bill has included this Solid Resource Fee. My complex has private trash service- the city doesn’t even pick up my garbage, yet they are charging me $72.84 for two months.
A call to the number on my bill, after waiting almost 1/2 an hour to speak to a rep, was the equivalent of banging my head against city hall. I was basically told it is a city charge and all dwellings are being charged it- a $437 charge for a service I do not even use.

By: Jon

Jon — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 22:50:52 +0000

For some reason the last two billing cycles my dreaded Solid Resources Fee is nowhere to be found. My bill is now cut in half. I live in an apartment complex — so I don’t know if they changed pickup services or not.

Was wondering if anyone else has seen any difference in their fees?

By: Ann

Ann — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 02:47:49 +0000

okay i finally got them to remove and refund the $50 solid resource fee that they’ve been charging me every month for the past year and a half. apparently it relates to trash pick up. since i live in an apartment and there is a private company that picks up our trash (not LA county), we should not have to pay this fee. i had to have my landlord call the private company and have them issue a letter stating that they’ve been picking up the trash since i’ve moved in and thus it was never serviced by LA county. i sent the letter to LADWP and they are refunding me all the solid resource fees that they’ve been charging me since i moved in here. hope this info helps some of you guys.

By: jocelyn

jocelyn — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:24:19 +0000

this crazy charge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: jocelyn

jocelyn — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:22:49 +0000

**** all of u coplain i rent a 4 bd house.We would usually get the solid fee no more tha $120.00 but thi month it was $$495.00 can u fukin belive this has to be a joke It’s about 1/4 of my rent i can belive this………………..

By: betty

betty — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 21:18:25 +0000

Just got my water bill… this Solid Resources fee is $304.76…
its ridiculous!!! does anybody knows how to get exempt or at leas cut it in half???

By: Max

Max — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 05:58:41 +0000

it’s money laundering as usual, it costs less to accumulate waste and dispose of it with a private company once a month, there shouldn’t be a monopoly of areas for one company to overcharge its inhabitants by assuming its volumes of waste generated.
it has to be rectified, maybe we’re not living in a democratic country in the end, we’re doomed.

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 22:47:13 +0000

David:

Thanks for the blog and the thread it has caused:

Quick background: I was born on family ranch land in Van Nuys in September 1946. My wife was born in Montebello in 1950 and raised in North Hollywood (Not NoHo). We have reside in North Hollywood for 44 years.

We have been in an ongoing two (2) year bureaucratic battle with the City for charging us the LA City Sanitation Service Charge.

Here’s the rundown as follows:

As to the complaints related to the LA City Sanitation Service Charge? We have never been serviced by the LA City Sanitation Department. The city never dropped any containers at our address. We do not currently have city containers.

We have had private commercial solid waste dumpster pick-up for the 16 years we have resided at this commercial property location. The dumpster charge is covered by the other three (3) commercial businesses that lease space on this property and our portion is paid through our original lease contract.

We reside in the 1450 sq. ft. 2 bedroom loft with business office. Our 25 year lease is $725.00 per month and that covers the water and sewer services charges.

Now keep in mind that the city also receives a portion of the private commercial solid waste dumpster fees. So in practice, the city is and has been double billing us without having to service us with their containers.

Solid Resources Fee: $70.45

Currently our official complaint is somewhere in the just recently elected new city councilman’s “Do I Have to Do This?” in-box. And he has another 28 days to respond to my latest request to answer to this situation.

Thanks again David, for the thread that has stayed active for over 2 years.

And, as my saying goes: I may be old by I’m persistent…

~Robert~

By: Melissa Rivera

Melissa Rivera — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:07:34 +0000

Boy am I glad I found this, I thought I was the only one freaking out!…I just had a heart attack when I received my first bill for $470.00 from LADWP….WHAT?????? Im one person? Solid Resource fee was 71.00 and sewer charge was 55.59. I just moved from Ventura County 805 and I can tell you I’ve NEVER experienced this kind of gouging in my life. I will definitely be writing a letter AND sending it to the LA TIMES as well. Wow, I don’t know if I can afford to live here afterall???? I had no idea about these fees! This is a complete fraud to the people of Los Angeles!

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 01:04:35 +0000

Just moved to a two unit duplex in Los Feliz and was shocked to find I am bring charges $79 every billing cycle for the solid resources fee. Does anyone know if I were to tell DWP that I want to stop all their services and use SoCal Edison for electricity if they will charge me for garbage?

By: dvg

dvg — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:01:34 +0000

Well, to be honest, I was only posting my DWP bill so my friends on the East coast would see how expensive water and electric is out here. I wasn’t really trying to “raise awareness” of the solid resources fee issue; that just sort of happened on its own as other people left comments on this post about it.

Of course you can post a link to this on Yelp, or anywhere else you’d like.

By: Si E Wong

Si E Wong — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:47:58 +0000

Hi David Gagne,

Thanks for raising this as an issue – did you ever resolve this in anyway ? Do you mind if I post this thread on yelp & give us more publicity to issues like that ?

By: Si E Wong

Si E Wong — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:26:49 +0000

Does anyone know what we can do or who we can go to to do something about this ? I looked up watchdog institution for LADWP but didn’t find a conclusive institution to lodge a complain with.

Do we really want a bigger government when all they seem to care about is ripping us off ?

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:35:19 +0000

My electricity alone: $2.62 thanks greatly to the low income credit. Total bill: over $50!! All due to the solid resources fee. I share cans with my landlord even. I looked around online and apparently the fee is collected by the DWP and given to the city to pay for more cops. Maybe they should just use the damn helicopters less often….

By: John

John — Sun, 02 May 2010 18:03:16 +0000

i rent 1/2 of a duplex in the melrose area. my question is concerning the “solid resources fee” aka, garbage pick-up. since my neighbor and i share the same bins, why is it we are each billed $70/month?…the normal pick-up fee for a single residence. since we’re using the same bins, shouldn’t we split the garbage bill?