ConEd Customers - Reimbursement for food spoilage due to Blackout

[swNYC]

Up to $150 without proof, up to $350 with itemized receipts, photographs or UPC barcodes
Residental Application Form

 

[MontyBurns]

How did you hear about this?

I'm fairly skeptical you'll ever see a penny. ConEd has been sued by a group of NYC restaurant owners over spoiled food, and their official position is that they aren't liable because the blackout was not their fault. (The form specifically says it must be ConEd's fault.)

 

[Cal166]

Worth a try.

 

[allisolm]

From the NY Daily News:

"You're on your own - Con Ed
Won't pay for spoiled food

By DAVID SALTONSTALL and TRACY CONNOR
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS


Joe Bandera, a butcher at Met Foods in Brooklyn, dumps meat and poultry that spoiled during last week's blackout.
Con Edison is refusing to reimburse New Yorkers for food spoiled in last week's blackout - saying it's not responsible for any claims because the power outage started in Ohio.
The utility's policy is to cover claims up to $350 per household when the electricity is zapped.

It even has a form on its Web site that customers can use to claim food losses, and consumers have been E-mailing them around.

But Con Ed said yesterday that the policy doesn't apply to last week's outage, which left millions of its customers in the dark for 12 to 29 hours."

 

[Doomer]

I had a situation a couple of years ago where the electric co. cut off my power in error. Seems that the people that rented the apt. previously skipped out without paying and I was the one to bear the pain. This happened on a Friday when I left town for the weekend. Came home Sunday evening to a hot, stinking apt. with a fridg full of muck. The electric co. was all too happy to pay me 150 bucks because it was clearly their fault. Had it been a system wide outage, I doubt I'd have seen a dime. Seems like when they screw the individual, they're happy to pay. When they screw the whole community, though sh!t, that's life.

 

[RossMAN]

This should be stickied at the top.

 

[MontyBurns]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
This should be stickied at the top.

And the title should be changed to "ConEd will NOT reimburse customers for food spoilage."

I don't want ConEd paying out zillions of dollars for something that wasn't their fault to start with anyway. Let Ohio pay for my spoiled steaks, but I don't want my electric bill going up as a result.

 

[icantiwont]

hmmm...seems questionable as a hot deal, but if it is you east coasters can have it. at least, we still have frys out here in the west.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: icantiwont
hmmm...seems questionable as a hot deal, but if it is you east coasters can have it. at least, we still have frys out here in the west.

and better weather (not as humid)

 

[swNYC]

I don't want ConEd paying out zillions of dollars for something that wasn't their fault to start with anyway. Let Ohio pay for my spoiled steaks, but I don't want my electric bill going up as a result.

Firstly, there is no harm to file this claim. ConEd won't come to your house with wire snippers and cut your electricity if you filed this report. I'm not filing for the full $150, I'm only claiming what I had in the fridge that got spoiled. If they don't pay up, it's not the end of the world.

Secondly, at least in NYC, where the electricity market is DEREGULATED, you may choose another energy supplier if ConEd decides to increase the rates.

 

[Hammer]

thats pretty cool. if they approve your claim.

 

[Slikkster]

I'm no big fan of Con-Ed, but it's these seemingly innocuous ways of getting some dough that end up costing everybody more money in the end. This problem originated in the midwest somewhere (undetermined), and everyone else on the shared grid suffered. Con-Ed can be faulted for a lot of things, but not this incident. For them to have to shell out lots of money for something out of their control would only be passed along to customers in the end, anyway.

 

[MontyBurns]

Again: Why do people think these will be paid? Since the company has said they will in fact NOT pay such claims?

 

[VaG]

Originally posted by: RossMANand better weather (not as humid)

Now that's funny coming from a Portlander. Enjoy your last 2 weeks of sun before the next 9 months of rain hits.

 

[rh71]

It clearly states in a popup box when you go to their site for this same form... that they ARE NOT LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE for 8/14. Don't bother... I told my friends/fiancee the same thing when they kept bugging me to submit one for them. Do not bother unless you're really really bored.

 

[LanEvoVI]

Originally posted by: swNYC

I don't want ConEd paying out zillions of dollars for something that wasn't their fault to start with anyway. Let Ohio pay for my spoiled steaks, but I don't want my electric bill going up as a result.

Firstly, there is no harm to file this claim. ConEd won't come to your house with wire snippers and cut your electricity if you filed this report. I'm not filing for the full $150, I'm only claiming what I had in the fridge that got spoiled. If they don't pay up, it's not the end of the world. Secondly, at least in NYC, where the electricity market is DEREGULATED, you may choose another energy supplier if ConEd decides to increase the rates.

Deregulation means that ConEd of New York doesn't own anymore generation (well for the most part, they own a few steam cogen plants and such). They are, however, the only means for that energy to reach your apmt/house. So if you decide to shaft ConEd, your bill will still go up because about 40% of your bill is the delivery fee (the rest is 10% for taxes and the other 50% is the deregulated portion or the Energy bill.)

If you really want to save money and have central AC, check out http://www.coned.com/cool Apparently, they come and install a new thermostat that you can control over the internet (for free) and give you $25 back on your bill. The only thing is that during heavy load periods they can automatically change your settings. But, you can manually override any changes they make. I signed up about 3 weeks ago but haven't heard anything from them yet. If anyone else has this already, gimme a pm and let me know how it is...

 

[MontyBurns]

I'm just curious why you think ConEd should be liable for your spoiled food?

 

[r01axb]

I had a bunch of stuff that spoiled, but who would keep stuff after it spoils or take pictures or keep receipts of groceries? how do you provide proof? right after the power came on, I checked stuff in the refrigerator and threw everything out.

 

[Vegito]

for every 350 they pay out, they'll increase the electric bill for the rest of your life and we end up paying more... so if it's not their fault, dont bother.. they'll screw us big time with hikes

 

[Vegito]

If you really want to save money and have central AC, check out <a class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.coned.com/cool" target=blank>http://www.coned.com/cool</A> Apparently, they come and install a new thermostat that you can control over the internet (for free) and give you $25 back on your bill. The only thing is that during heavy load periods they can automatically change your settings. But, you can manually override any changes they make. I signed up about 3 weeks ago but haven't heard anything from them yet. If anyone else has this already, gimme a pm and let me know how it is...

One of my friend has this in long island through LIPA.. he has not seen any difference.. and I think he gets x off his bill too

 

[Bob/NYC]

I'm just curious why you think ConEd should be liable for your spoiled food?

Maybe his name is Ed and he thinks he was conned.

ConEd sold off all their generators and only control and maintain local distribution and billing.

 

[SleepyGreggy]

My block in Coney Island had a blackout a few years ago. Blackout lasted two days. Naturally everything spoiled and I filled out this form. Never saw a penny.

 

[whistleclient]

The rain made my grass grow and now I have to pay someone to cut it. Who do I sue? Because apparently we need to blame someone else for EVERYTHING in this country.

 

[alchemist]

Well guess what. The power grid is in the hands of the power company.....so tell me who is liable.....no one power company is liable for it all. If all the power companies did what they should have to protect the nations power supply they each would have had safeguards in place wich obviously they didnt. Power companies have been raping consumers for years and not putting the money back into their infrastructure, and posting profits hand over fist and who do they want to pay for these upgrades to the system....the governenment.

Long story short, the governement needs to slap the nation's utility companies in line and make them pay for their mess.

 

[Slikkster]

Long story short, the governement needs to slap the nation's utility companies in line and make them pay for their mess.

heheh..yeah, right after the energy lobby forks over another few billion to Cheney and company. (No offense to Cheney and the GOP...they'd lobby anyone in power, pardon the pun.)