Electric Bills To Spike In Southern California: Utility Rate Hike Approved

LOS ANGELES, CA — Southern California Edison customers will see their electric bills rising next month after the California Public Utilities Commission approved a rate increase Thursday.

The California Public Utilities Commission voted on the increase during its meeting Thursday. The approval means Edison customers who use about 500 kilowatt hours each month would see a 9.1% increase in their bill.

The California Public Utilities Commission voted on the increase during its meeting Thursday. The approval means Edison customers who use about 500 kilowatt hours each month — the average customer — would see a 9.1% increase in their bill.

The monthly bill for a customer using 500 kilowatt hours would increase from $171 to about $186.56 starting on Oct. 1.

That increase is only slightly lower than the 10% increase that Edison was requesting.

The increase comes as SoCal Edison continues to face lawsuits from victims of the Los Angeles fires earlier this year. SoCal Edison is also facing a lawsuit from the federal government, which has said the utility company's negligence is to blame for the Eaton and Fairview fires.

The funds from the increase, according to the California Public Utilities Commission, are expected to go toward investing in infrastructure that is expected to reduce wildfire reductions, including undergrounding power lines in high-risk areas.

But customers believed the increase should be denied, saying that the utility company has failed to adequately prevent wildfires despite already charging more for tree trimming and equipment upgrades, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Southern California Edison reported record profits of $1.69 billion in 2024, a 9.8% increase from 2023, Fox26 reported.

“This is the very definition of unreliable service,” one customer wrote, according to the Los Angeles Times. ”We are now being asked to pay more per unit for a lower quality good.”