New power rate plan approved

A Los Angeles City Council committee tentatively approved a new electrical rate restructuring plan Tuesday that sets higher rates for customers who use the most electricity.Kerry Cavanaugh iin the Daily News.

The proposal still has to be approved by the full City Council and would not take effect for residential customers until June 2009.

If approved, the plan would set three rate tiers from June through September. Residents who use more power would be bumped from the first tier into the second and third tiers, with rates increasing in each tier.

The plan would also create so-called "hot zones" - including the San Fernando Valley, the Eastside and South L.A. - in which residents would get to use more power before they would be bumped into a higher rate tier.