L.A. resident Lisa Price was among hundreds of seniors receiving portable room air conditioners distributed by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Los Angeles Department of Aging, and KBLA Talk 1580 free of charge.
Angelenos who attended the giveaway event in Watts were also able to sign up on-the-spot for LADWP financial assistance programs such as EZ-SAVE and Lifeline, and learn about other money-saving programs. LADWP recruiters were also available to talk about job opportunities.
“I love it,” said Price about her new air conditioner. “I’ve been wanting to get one, but I didn’t have the extra money to purchase one. So, when the Department of Water and Power put out on the radio that they were [giving away] free air conditioners, I took that and ran with it!
“I downloaded the information and signed up, and also signed up several other people. So many people need one that are elderly, and they don’t always have the money. So to me, it was a blessing,” added Price.
Commenting about the heat wave the L.A.-area has been experiencing, Mayor Karen Bass described the air conditioners as “lifesaving resources for our most vulnerable Angelenos.”
She also commended the city departments for collaborating to help people in need.
According to LaTanya Bognin, director of Partnership Development for LADWP, the giveaway stems from the department’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and its climate justice campaign.
“We wanted to do something for our highest risk population dealing with extreme heat and so we partnered with the Department of Aging to hold this event,” explained Bognin. And to those people thinking that running air conditioners would increase their utility bill, Bognin and her team shared information about the variety of LADWP programs to aid residents on fixed incomes.
The department plans to distribute more free air conditioners during August, said Bognin. Giveaway events will be held in the San Fernando Valley and East L.A.
LADWP CEO and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones stated that a commitment to serving every Angeleno and making sure customers are equipped with the tools and resources to manage their bills are core to the utility’s mission.
“This event is part of our Powered by Equity initiative which ensures that everyone in L.A. can take part in and benefit equitably from the transition to clean energy,” said Quiñones.
“It was important to us to give away air conditioners in Watts and provide information about utility bill discounts because customers need to be able to mitigate the impact of extreme heat. We want to make sure that the programs we design are inclusive and don’t leave anyone behind.”
As a recipient of the giveaway, Lisa Price said, “I want to thank LADWP again for doing this great service to the community. I really was grateful and thankful that I was able to get my [air conditioning] unit.”
