Who Really Pays When a Power Line Sparks a Fire? Inverse Condemnation, Explained for Homeowners

In House Contributor

Published on: 17/09/2026

Under California's inverse condemnation doctrine, a utility can be held liable for wildfire damage caused by its equipment even without proving negligence, and a meaningful share of that liability ultimately passes through to ratepayers via rate.

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SCE's Own Notice Confirms It: Rates Are Rising Again — Here's What the Fine Print Doesn't Say

In House Contributor

Published on: 10/09/2026

SCE's official rate change notices are written in neutral regulatory language that rarely shows how a new increase compounds with previous rate cases, or clarifies that it's often just one of several simultaneous proceedings working through.

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Time-of-Use Rates 101: Why When You Use Power Matters as Much as How Much

In House Contributor

Published on: 10/09/2026

Time-of-use rate plans, now standard for most California utilities, charge two to three times more for electricity used during the evening peak window than during off-peak hours, meaning timing matters as much as total usage.

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$300 Million a Year, Almost All From You: Inside SCE's Wildfire Self-Insurance Fund

In House Contributor

Published on: 06/09/2026

Southern California Edison maintains a wildfire self-insurance fund costing roughly $300 million a year, with the large majority funded by ratepayers rather than shareholders, since traditional wildfire insurance has become extremely expensive.

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