Permits and rebates · independent publisher, not a contractor
Which utility serves my property?
Check your electric bill: the name on it is your utility. In the City of Los Angeles it is usually LADWP. Burbank, Pasadena and Glendale have their own city utilities, and most other nearby cities buy electricity from Southern California Edison. Gas is mostly SoCalGas, except in Long Beach.
Reviewed · 11 named sources · No named reviewer yet; see our editorial policy.
- Why it matters for an AC project
- The usual pattern
- Three ways to check an address
- Edge cases
- Utility is not the same as permit office
- City by city, for the area this site covers
- What the utility means for a heat pump decision
- The gas side
- Buying or renting: what to check before you commit
- Running cost: where to find your rate
- Utility and the electrical panel
Why it matters for an AC project
Know your utility? See which rebates apply with the rebate lookup tool and the dated status board.
The utility is the first question for a heat pump: it decides which rebate applies, if any. See LA heat pump rebates.
The usual pattern
| Area | Electricity | Gas | Heat pump rebate |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Los Angeles | LADWP | SoCalGas | LADWP, per ton |
| Burbank | Burbank Water and Power | SoCalGas | BWP, per ton |
| Pasadena | Pasadena Water and Power | SoCalGas | PWP, per ton |
| Glendale | Glendale Water and Power | SoCalGas | GWP, per ton (verify) |
| Long Beach | SCE | Long Beach city gas utility | TECH, reserved |
| Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood | SCE | SoCalGas | TECH, reserved |
| Most other nearby cities | SCE | SoCalGas | TECH, reserved |
Burbank Water and Power, "Residential Rebates"; Pasadena Water and Power, "Heat Pump Rebate"; City of Long Beach Development Services, Permit Center; Long Beach Utilities (gas); utility rebate pages in Sources. A pattern, not a guarantee: check your own bill.
Three ways to check an address
- The bill. The utility name on the electric bill is the answer. "Department of Water and Power, City of Los Angeles" means LADWP.
- Ask the seller or landlord for a recent bill if you are buying or renting.
- Call the utility with the address if the property is new to you or on a boundary.
Edge cases
Boundaries do not follow ZIP codes
Utility territories do not always match city lines or ZIP codes. Unincorporated areas follow the utility that serves that territory, not the nearest city. Parts of Bellflower are on the Long Beach gas utility rather than SoCalGas.
The bill is the only reliable answer for a specific address.
Utility is not the same as permit office
Your utility and your permit office are separate questions. A Glendale house is on Glendale Water and Power and needs a Glendale permit; a West Hollywood condo buys from SCE and needs a West Hollywood permit; a Studio City house is on LADWP and needs an LADBS permit.
Check the jurisdiction on the permit guide.
City by city, for the area this site covers
| City | Electric utility | Permit office |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles (incl. Valley neighbourhoods) | LADWP | LADBS |
| Burbank | Burbank Water and Power | City of Burbank |
| Pasadena | Pasadena Water and Power | City of Pasadena |
| Glendale | Glendale Water and Power | City of Glendale |
| Long Beach | SCE | City of Long Beach |
| Santa Monica | SCE | City of Santa Monica |
| Beverly Hills | SCE | City of Beverly Hills |
| West Hollywood | SCE | City of West Hollywood |
| Calabasas, Agoura Hills | SCE | Each city's building department |
| Arcadia, Downey, Whittier, Norwalk, Bellflower, Cerritos | SCE | Each city's building department or its contracted provider |
| Unincorporated LA County | Usually SCE | LA County Public Works |
Utilities per the AREAS research on this site and the utilities' own pages; permit offices per our permit guide, where the confirmation status of each office is shown.
What the utility means for a heat pump decision
On a city utility or LADWP
A per-ton heat pump rebate may apply. Price a heat pump alongside central AC, check the model against the program list, and keep the finalled permit.
On SCE
The TECH incentive is reserved, so compare without a rebate. The heat pump can still make sense if it replaces an aging gas furnace.
Published LA ranges: central AC $6,500–$25,000 across 2–5 tons, ducted heat pump $8,000–$22,000. See central AC vs heat pump.
The gas side
Most of the area is on SoCalGas. Long Beach runs its own gas utility, and parts of Bellflower are on it too. The gas utility matters when a furnace is removed: the line has to be capped safely, and some homeowners also close the gas account if nothing else uses gas.
Ask before you close a gas account
A water heater, stove or dryer may still use gas. Check every appliance before you ask the gas utility to close the account.
Buying or renting: what to check before you commit
- Ask for a recent electric bill to see the utility, and a gas bill if the house has gas.
- Ask what the AC and heating are, how old, and whether there are permits for them.
- Check the panel size on the panel label if you plan a heat pump.
- Note the city for the permit office, which may differ from the mailing address.
Old permits
Permit history for past HVAC work tells you whether the last change-out was inspected. Many building offices let you search an address; ask the seller's agent too.
Running cost: where to find your rate
Running cost depends on your utility's electricity rate and your plan, which change and differ by tier and time of day. Find your rate on your bill or the utility's rate page rather than relying on an average.
Then enter it into the heat pump vs AC calculator, which uses your own figures and shows the arithmetic.
Utility and the electrical panel
A heat pump replacing a gas furnace can add electrical load. Older LA houses often have smaller panels. Published LA sources put a panel upgrade at $2,000–$7,500.
A service upgrade can need the utility to disconnect and reconnect power, so ask the contractor who books that and how long it usually takes with your utility.
Sources
- Burbank Water and Power, "Residential Rebates"; Pasadena Water and Power, "Heat Pump Rebate" (retrieved 2026-09-29) — verify before relying on it
- City of Long Beach Development Services, Permit Center; Long Beach Utilities (gas) (retrieved 2026-09-29) — verify before relying on it
- LADWP, "Consumer Rebate Program" (retrieved 2026-10-20)
- TECH Clean California, "Single Family Incentives" (retrieved 2026-10-20)
- Pasadena Water and Power, "Heat Pump Rebate" (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- Burbank Water and Power, Electrification Rebate Program application form (retrieved 2026-10-18)
- Glendale Water and Power, Smart Home Rebate Program (official search result; the page refused our reads) (retrieved 2026-10-18) — verify before relying on it
- Reliable Heating and Air (Woodland Hills), AC installation cost in LA and Ventura County (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- Cold Cloud (Glendale), central air cost in Los Angeles (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- E & A Mechanical (Tujunga), heat pump installation cost in Los Angeles (retrieved 2026-09-29)
- HVACProjectCost.com, Los Angeles HVAC replacement cost (retrieved 2026-09-29)
Questions
Is all of Los Angeles on LADWP?
Most of the City of Los Angeles is. Neighbouring cities such as Burbank, Pasadena and Glendale run their own utilities; Santa Monica and Beverly Hills buy from SCE. Check your bill.
Is Long Beach on LADWP?
No. Long Beach buys electricity from SCE and runs its own city gas utility.
Does my utility affect the AC price?
Not the installation price itself, but it decides the rebate, if any, and can affect the cost and timing of a panel upgrade.
Which utility serves Glendale?
Glendale Water and Power, a city-owned utility with its own heat pump rebate. We mark its rebate details verify because the city site refused our reads.
I am in an unincorporated area. Who serves me?
Whichever utility serves that territory, usually SCE. The bill is the reliable answer. The permit comes from LA County Public Works.
Can I switch utilities?
No. The utility is set by where the property is.
Is Santa Monica on LADWP?
No. Santa Monica buys electricity from SCE and runs its own building and safety office.
Is the San Fernando Valley on LADWP?
The Valley neighbourhoods inside the City of Los Angeles, such as Woodland Hills or Van Nuys, are. Burbank and Glendale have their own utilities; the separate cities nearby are mostly on SCE.
Does the utility decide the permit office?
No. The city or county that has jurisdiction over the address issues the permit. They are separate questions.
Who serves West Hollywood?
SCE for electricity and SoCalGas for gas, as we have it. Check the bill for any specific address.
Next step
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- Tell us about the job. Service, ZIP, property and timing. The form says right away if your ZIP is outside the area.
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- Compare what comes back. Line the written quote up against the published ranges and the quote checklist.
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