Thousands of PWP Rebate Checks Sent to Local Residents

Rebate checks have been mailed to current, and some previous, Pasadena Water and Power customers.

According to information provided to Pasadena Now, rebates have been sent to 42,500 people as of April 28.

The rebates apply to both residential and commercial electric PWP customers.

Under the plan approved by the Pasadena City Council, the PWP’s estimated 67,500 electric customers, plus eligible former customers, will receive $11.4 million in rebates, along with another $2 million in suspended utility fees for six months.

The rebates will equal customers’ last 24 months of surtax-fee payments made to the city’s underground surtax fund, which is made up of fees that customers are charged to support the construction of underground utility lines.

Because Pasadena has its own utility, city officials can provide the rebates.

The underground-surtax fees have been suspended for six months.

Rebate checks range from about $103 for a typical residential electric user to about $3,200 for a medium-size restaurant to about $29,000 for heavy-usage customers such as hotels, according to city estimates.

Current customers and people who had an account within a last two years are receiving the rebates.

The rebate came with a notice reminding local residents to complete the census.

In a city staff report released in March, City Manager Steve Mermell identified the underground surtax fund as a source of financial relief to residents because its balance “is well in excess of what our identified project needs are.’’

“This is largely due to various constraints impacting the number of projects that can be undertaken at any one time,’’ according to a city staff report.

Mermell said the money taken from the surtax fund is better used for immediate needs rather than sitting idle, awaiting future projects.

The council previously suspended shutoffs and late fees for delinquent PWP payments, among other economic relief efforts during the COVID-19 crisis.

The council has also passed a residential and commercial renter-eviction moratorium; suspended penalties and fees for late payment on garbage pickup; and modified various parking and impound rules.

Kevin Kenney contributed to the story