Food in freezers and refrigerators has spoiled. Residents have had to buy generators the fuel needed to run them. People throughout Northern California are now asking if they’ll be compensated for losses incurred during PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).
The short answer is: no.
PG&E has a public policy of not reimbursing customers for losses during PSPS.
"When we do these shutoffs for safety, we typically do not reimburse for claims," PG&E spokesperson Brandi Merlo said.
Merlo also told ABC10 people are welcome to submit a claim and they would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Yet, the historical precedent for compensation doesn’t exist.
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According to PG&E’s post-event report to the California Public Utilities Commission, 146 claims were filed against the company. Of those, 102 were for food loss, 25 were for business impact, 19 were for property damage.
PG&E rejected all claims, writing in that report, “PG&E has stated publicly that because of the safety-related nature of PSPS events, customers will not be reimbursed for associated losses.”
The company does have a Safety Net Program to reimburse customers who go without power for more than 48 hours due to a severe weather event.
Payments range from $25 to a maximum of $100, depending on how long a customer’s power is off. This doesn’t apply to PSPS events. They also only reimburse residential customers, not businesses.
PG&E also has a Service Guarantee Program which will pay customers $30 if they weren’t notified three days before a planned shutoff. Still, it doesn’t apply to serious emergencies, storm conditions or conditions that may affect public safety.
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