Did Your Gas Bill Spike? City Urges Investigation into Gas Co. Billing

The Los Angeles City Council today urged the state watchdog of public utilities to probe Southern California Gas Co. bill increases, which came as the utility worked to plug up a months-long natural gas leak near Porter Ranch.

The council voted 12-0 to support a resolution calling on the California Public Utilities Commission to look into the “unusual” jump in bill amounts.

Councilman Mitch Englander, who represents the Porter Ranch area, said his office has “gotten scores of gas bills ... stacks of them, emails, phone calls” from residents of his district and other parts of the city and as far away as Riverside County, questioning why their bills are hundreds of dollars “when they’re normally a fraction of that.”

Englander said one woman who lives in an apartment received a bill this week for $167, while her bill from the same day last year was $14.35.

Englander, who authored the resolution, expressed concern that the price spike may be linked to the gas leak, since it occurred at around the same time. He added, however, that the increase may be due to recently installed smart meters, which he said may not be calibrated correctly.

SoCalGas officials have vehemently denied any connection between bill increases and the Porter Ranch leak. According to the company, rising bills are the result of increased usage during colder winter months.

Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents Venice and neighboring areas, said he, too, has been receiving complaints “in the last several weeks.”

The bill increases do not make sense due to the overall “good weather,” and are “causing a lot of alarm and a lot of confusion,” he said.

City News Service; Photo: Wikimedia Commons