LOS ANGELES (July 3, 2024) – As the Southland, including Los Angeles, braces for a heat wave this week, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is sharing public safety tips and resources that support customers and can help mitigate the impacts of high heat events.
LADWP’s top priority is the safety and well-being of its customers. Excessive heat can pose serious health risks and affect elderly and low-income customers the most, as they may try to cut costs by not using their air conditioners or may lack access to them entirely. LADWP wants to assure its customers that their safety is paramount, and the Department is committed to providing reliable service and the support and resources customers need to stay safe and cool. The Department has also been working proactively to make the necessary replacements or upgrades of its critical power infrastructure ahead of the summer season. While extreme heat events were once considered emergencies, it is now the new normal and the Department prioritizes this reality in all of its operations.
LADWP’s Ongoing Preparations for Extreme Weather Events, Especially Excessive Heat
LADWP has invested approximately $1.2 billion dollars over the past year to proactively replace and upgrade aging equipment through its Power System Reliability Program (PSRP). These investments strengthen the power grid and help protect against power outages during extreme weather events. LADWP has made significant progress since the program’s inception in 2008 and as a result, service reliability has remained strong, though the Department continuously seeks to improve it.
Recognizing the significant effects climate change has on our community – especially our most vulnerable — LADWP’s Power System has developed a robust heat readiness program. Along with the PSRP program, this will help ensure the Department stays ahead of any challenges that may arise. Action plans include the mobilization of crews and positioning them at strategic locations with the necessary resources to perform their jobs quickly and safely, as well as improving on how our infrastructure equipment is replaced, stocked and replenished.
Staying Safe, Staying Cool
During extreme heat events, LADWP encourages customers to conserve energy, but never at the expense of their health or safety. No customer should shut off their AC because of financial concerns. LADWP has flexible payment plans, financial assistance programs including EZ-SAVE and also continues to encourage customers to enroll in the Level Pay program. Level Pay is a bill payment option that divides a customer’s estimated utility bill into predictable, equal monthly amounts which allows for easy budgeting. To sign up for Level Pay, customers can call 1-800-DIAL-DWP and speak with a customer service representative.
LADWP also continues to offer a $225 rebate for window, wall, and portable ACs for income-qualified customers through its Cool LA initiative, as well as a Summer Special of $75 rebates for window, wall, and portable units available to all residential customers. For more information on the Cool LA and Summer Special rebates, visit www.ladwp.com/cool-la.
Additional Tips to Stay Cool:
- Stay hydrated and drink more water, especially if you drink coffee or soda.
- If you feel ill, tell someone immediately. Symptoms of dehydration and heat illness may include dizziness, fatigue, faintness, nausea, muscle cramps, headache and vomiting. Symptoms of heat stroke may include similar symptoms to that of heat illness as well as high body temperature (103°F or higher); hot, red, dry, or damp skin and/or fast, strong pulse.
- In the event of a heat stroke:
- Call 911 right away; heat stroke is a medical emergency
- Move the person to a cooler place
- Help lower the person’s temperature with a cool cloth or a cool bath
- Do not give the person anything to drink
For additional tips and a list of cooling centers in the City of Los Angeles, click here.
What to Do When You Experience a Power Outage during Extreme Heat Events
In case of a power outage, be prepared and stay safe by following some valuable tips below:
- Seek a place to stay cool if temperatures are unsafe.
- Keep a flashlight and extra batteries nearby. Never use candles as a light source in a power outage or other emergency.
- Keep a fully charged cell phone or cell-phone battery pack on-hand. They come in handy when computers or “landlines” requiring a power source fail to work during a power outage.
- Leave one light switched on so you know when power has been restored. Switch off all other lights.
- Turn off and unplug electrical equipment and appliances like computers, televisions and air conditioners, and heat-producing items such as irons or hot plates. This helps to prevent circuit overloading, which could delay the restoration of service.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to protect their contents.
- And remember, never touch a downed power line! Stay away and call 911 instead.
How to Report a Power Outage, View LADWP’s Outage Map, and Receive Outage Notifications
If power goes out, customers can report it by calling 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397) or at www.ladwp.com/outages. Using the same landing page, customers can also track crew status for their outage via the Department’s recently revamped outage map and/or sign up to receive outage alerts via email and/or text for up to three communities.
New features have been added to the outage map website making it easier to navigate. Customers can now see how many customers are affected by an outage, based on the size of the dot on the map, while its color indicates the status of the outage. What remains unchanged is the ability for visitors to click on the dot to access additional information regarding a specific outage such as the start time of an outage and the estimated time of restoration.
Other Resources for Information during Excessive Heat:
The National Weather Service of Los Angeles
Flex Alert information from the California Independent System Operator
LADWP will continue to provide safety tips, conservation tips and other relevant information to our customers through various social media channels (@ladwp on X and Facebook, @ladwp1 on Instagram), LADWP newsroom and on NextDoor.
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