Nathan Wells suspected the DWP was overcharging him, but he had no idea just how much until he started closely tracking his power use.
Wells, a mathematician, quickly discovered that the Department of Water and Power was socking him with a bill three times what it should have been. But when he contacted the agency, they refused to budge on the bill, and refused to disclose their "secret" formula.
"I think the LADWP is worse than the mafia," Wells told the NBC4 I-Team. "It's impossible to deal with them."
After hearing numerous stories like Wells' from consumers who say they are being gouged on their power bill, the NBC4 I-Team investigated, and found that the DWP routinely overcharges its customers. The agency levies these charges in the guise of "estimates" rather than billing you for the power you actually use. The DWP says "estimating a bill is a standard practice used by all utilities… This can occur for a variety of reasons."
Joel Grover will have the full story, the DWP’s response and four red flags to tell if your bill is inflated on NBC4 at 11 p.m.