ByCan a Customer Get a Refund for a Power Outage?
For many of us, power bills are among the largest portion of our living expenses. Keeping the heat on in the winter, the AC running in summer, and the refrigerator humming along eat up a lot of power. Not to mention other power-consuming appliances we rely on every day. You are also required to pay whatever the local energy market depends on, at whatever pay schedules and pricing models they choose to give you. In fact, power companies still charge you the same usage fee even if your power is down for hours or days - during the billing period.
So if you're paying a monthly usage fee,? Yes, but only if you know how to ask and insist on your rightful refund. But if you don't have time for hours on the phone and endless proof paperwork, DoNotPay can handle that hassle for you. We can help you get a refund for outage time and even reimbursement for any losses you suffered as a result of the outage.
Getting a Refund on Energy Not Used During a Power Outage
Most people pay a service fee for their power in addition to usage-based costs. This means that any time the power is down, you're losing money on your power service. Here are the four steps it usually takes to possibly - if the power company hasn't decided to be especially difficult.
- Call your power company customer service line.
- Confirm the amount you'd be (or have been) charged for the length of your power outage.
- Ask for a refund and insist on seeing it put through before you hang up.
- Threaten to switch power providers (where possible) to empower case escalation.
Yes, this will take time on the phone tree and arguing with a probably-innocent phone rep. Yes, it will be a pain. And yes, you will probably have to threaten to switch providers before your phone rep is even allowed to escalate the case for a real resolution. Be prepared for all this before you dial.
Getting Reimbursed for Spoiled Food and Medication from an Extended Outage
If a power outage lasts longer than four hours, you'll need to throw out all the food in your freezer and fridge. This is how long it takes for the fridge to warm and bacteria to start growing, according to the USDA. Fortunately, you can get reimbursed for the cost of the family groceries and many power companies actually have a ready policy for this because it's so common.
| Make a claim with your power Company | Get back on the phone with your power company customer service line. Let them know you've lost food and confirm the date and times of your outage. If they don't forward you immediately to the food reimbursement solution, insist until they do. You will likely need to open a claim and submit proof like photos from the inside of your rotting fridge and your last grocery receipt. Especially if there were high-priced items like steak, lobster, or a month's supply of frozen foods. |
| Check your homeowner's insurance policy | Some homeowner's insurance policies have $500 to $1000 coverage for food lost to power outages and other local disasters. You'll need to go through the usual routine, but many insurance agents will discourage this claim because it's "small potatoes" for their price ranges. |
Getting Coverage for Damaged Equipment From a Power Outage or Power Surge
If the power outage was caused by an initial power surge, you may have the equipment or fuse-boxes damaged by the initial wave of electricity. This can burn out your AC, fry computers, and blow your fuse box beyond simply flipping the breakers. For these damages, you'll need to file a larger claim with the power company. If they low-ball you quoting Actual Cash Value for old appliances, check with your homeowner's insurance provider next.
The Easier Way to Get Power Outage Refunds and Reimbursement With DoNotPay
If your power company and/or insurance provider are giving you the runaround, you still have a right to food loss reimbursement. Power outages are not your fault, they are the responsibility of the power company. Losses caused by extended and unannounced power outages are therefore the power company's liability, not yours. You shouldn't have to repurchase a week or more of groceries just because the power went out, and we can help.
With DoNotPay, you give us the facts and we'll handle the hassle of dealing with your power company or homeowner's insurance. You don't need that stress. You probably don't have time for hours on the phone and re-filing paperwork - but that's what we do best.
How to Get Compensation for an Outage Using DoNotPay:
If you want to get compensation for an outage but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in these 9 easy steps:
- Go to the Outage Refunds product on DoNotPay.
- Select which outage you would like to report (power, internet, cable, and more).
- Select your energy provider and enter your account number.
- Indicate when the outage started and how long it lasted.
- Verify your account information.
- If you want to be reimbursed for losses related to a power outage, choose whether you want to be reimbursed for personal injuries, damaged property, or both.
- Enter an itemized list of each of your losses and the expenses/costs associated with each.
- Upload documents or photographic evidence that proves your losses. Also, add the names of any witnesses who can attest to your losses if possible.
- Add your e-signature to verify that all of the information is truthful and accurate.
DoNotPay Can Help with All Sorts Outage-Based Loss
Power outages are more than a pain, they can cost you in time, equipment, food, and unjustly charged power bill expenses. We can help you get refunded for outage-time charges and losses for any type of utility outage with any provider company in the US.
- Oncor Power Outage
- DTE Power Outages
- PGE Power Outages
- Power Outage Compensation and Claims
- Spectrum Internet
- Internet Outage Reimbursement
What Else Can DoNotPay Do?
What else can we do to make your life easier? DoNotPay has a wide range of services designed to save you money and time. Here are a few more things we can do for you as part of our online and procedural services.
- Insurance Claims
- Customer Service
- Help with Bills
- Parking Tickets
- File a Complaint
- Robocall Compensation
- Neighbor Complaints
DoNotPay was designed to help you avoid unnecessary expenses and make your life easier wherever you can. We'll argue with customer service on the phone for you. We'll help you pay tickets, cancel subscriptions, and file documents with those hard-to-find government offices. Explore our services to find more ways we can make your life easier, more affordable, and generally save you some hassle this year.