La Jolla homeowners could see their gas and electric bills rise by $22.48 per month if SDG&E's pending rate hike request wins state approval.

That request landed in June, when San Diego Gas & Electric filed for an 8.6% increase beginning in 2028. The proposal would total $3.8 billion if approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), NBC San Diego reported. If approved, a typical residential customer would pay $14.03 more per month for electricity and $8.45 more for natural gas, according to Times of San Diego.

Council President Joe LaCava, who represents La Jolla as the District 1 councilmember, said on X on Wednesday, Oct. 14 that he and Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera introduced a resolution calling on Sacramento to protect ratepayers, rein in excessive utility spending and hold utility companies accountable. The council voted unanimously in June to support the 2026 Energy Affordability and Accountability Bill Package, a set of 10 bills in the California Legislature. LaCava's post did not specify whether the Oct. 14 resolution is a new measure or a reference to that earlier action.

SDG&E customers pay $0.457 per kilowatt-hour for electricity as of June, more than double the national average of $0.196 per kWh. The utility had the second-highest residential rates among 200 investor-owned utilities nationwide in 2023, according to the CPUC. A March report by the California Public Advocates Office found about one in five SDG&E customers are behind on their energy bills.

"San Diegans are being ripped off by investor-owned utilities," Elo-Rivera said in June outside San Diego City Hall, when the council backed the bill package, as NBC San Diego reported.

SDG&E earned $563 million in profits last year, according to the annual report for Sempra, the utility's parent company, Times of San Diego reported. The utility called the legislative package "a distraction from what is causing utility rates to increase." In a statement, SDG&E said it is focused on solutions that provide near-term bill relief, including reducing operating costs and removing non-essential charges from bills.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed related legislation on Oct. 2. SB 913 advances the use of home batteries, solar panels and smart thermostats linked together to reduce strain on the electric grid, the Los Angeles Times reported. SB 905 will require the CPUC to consider lowering utility profits on lower-risk investments.

The timing adds pressure.

Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Wednesday, Oct. 14, showed San Diego-Carlsbad's inflation rate at 4.7%, the highest in three years and second nationally only to urban Hawaii at 5.2%, Fox 5 reported. San Diego's rate was 2.7% two months earlier in July.

The full text of the resolution referenced in LaCava's post has not been made public, and no vote date has been announced.