City Controller Kenneth Mejia has opened an investigation into the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) after a San Fernando Valley resident's $3,300 utility bill drew nearly a million views on social media.

Micah Reed received a two-month LADWP bill totaling about $3,300 for the period from July 25 through Sept. 23. The bill included $2,114 for electricity and $756 for water, the New York Post first reported. Reed said he kept his thermostat at 74 degrees in August so his family "wouldn't melt," and that the bill was more than $600 higher than the same period last year.

"As someone who lives in the valley, you know when you get your bill for the summer, it's going to hurt a little bit. But I wasn't expecting it to hurt this bad," Reed told CBS Los Angeles.

Reed's video went viral. He launched a Change.org petition titled "Cap the Heat Tax," calling for an independent audit of LADWP's rate calculations, tiered pricing and pass-through charges. The petition had gathered more than 7,600 signatures in under six days as of Tuesday, Oct. 6, according to a social media post tracking the count.

The petition demands higher Tier 1 and Tier 2 electricity-use thresholds during summer months so households are not pushed into top-tier penalty rates for running air conditioning during triple-digit heat. It also calls for flexible monthly billing, limits on sewer and sanitation add-ons during peak heat, interest-free payment plans and a halt to utility shutoffs for residents struggling with extreme summer bills.

Two city offices now investigating

Mejia told CBS Los Angeles the bills don't sit right with him or many residents, and that his office has already submitted a large data request to understand them. On Wednesday, Oct. 7, Mejia posted on X that he had received the petition and requested information from LADWP about its rates and what mechanisms exist to make bills more affordable.

Separately, the Office of Public Accountability (OPA) is conducting its own review of LADWP's rate-calculation system and billing structure. OPA Executive Director Tim O'Connor told CBS Los Angeles the office is performing an independent evaluation in real time.

Record heat, rising rates

The bills arrived after LA's hottest summer on record, according to Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, chair of the City Council's Energy and Environment Committee, in a Tuesday, Oct. 6, LADWP press release. Downtown Los Angeles hit 104 degrees on Monday, Oct. 5, breaking the previous daily record of 101 degrees set in 1953, LA Magazine reported. Temperatures ran as much as 22 degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service.

LADWP raised its standard residential electricity rates 5% to 9% for July through September compared with the same period last year, depending on the usage tier, according to the Korea Daily. Higher rates compounded with higher usage during extreme heat.

In the Oct. 6 press release, LADWP Interim General Manager David W. Hanson said the department offers flexible payment options, including its Level Pay program, which spreads estimated annual costs across 12 equal monthly payments. Payment arrangements with no interest and no fees are available for up to 24 months, or up to 48 months for income-eligible customers.

LADWP has not responded publicly to the controller's inquiry or the OPA review. Neither office has announced a timeline for findings or a date for public input.