Where do we send the bill?

Cal Water shut off the water in late afternoon for some reason. Then, restored service around the same time when power came back. I'm curious why they shut down the water.

Atherton is considering converting ECR from six lanes into four lanes with the addition of sidewalks and bike lanes. That would have improved safety in this situation. With a curb and space buffer, a car would do less damage to a pole and the fence or house.

This is the second time I can recall a car took out a fence on ECR. A couple years ago, another car rammed into a property near the ECR and Fair Oaks Ln intersection. No pole hit that time, but the fence was taken out.

Thanks to PG&E for working the weekend and through the night to fix the problem!

Editor:

Best I can tell, power went out around 5am Saturday morning. Initial PG&E report was that power would be restored by 4:30 pm. That was changed not too much later to 8:30 pm. My errands took me up and down past the scene numerous times Saturday. I went by when they had the stump of the pole hooked to a crane and were preparing to pull it. Next time I went by the new pole was laying on the ground ready to go and they had a drill rig at thole for the new pole. Water was pouring out of the hole. It was obvious they had hit a water main. Later, Calwater finally showed up and it took them a wile to finally get the water shut off. We were informed around 6:40 pm that power would not be restored until 6 am today (Sunday). Power came on around 5 am.

PG&E should have checked with other utilities for possible underground utilities located where they were about to drill. In my work I have to do it 48 hrs, minimum, in advance of any underground work. Either PG&E didn't bother to check or Calwater didn't give or have accurate information. In any event where do I send the bill for the spoiled food I had to throw out?

Menlo voter-How about you stop complaining and suck it up. In PV we sometimes get power outages because we have a lot of trees, and food goes bad as a result. So we just go to Roberts to replace what has spoiled. Simple.

PV resident:

losing power in PV goes with the territory. It's not common here and it was made worse by PG&E's and/or Calwater's incompetence. I did go to the store and replace my food. I'd like the incompetents that are responsible for it spoiling to pay for it.

@menlo voter
sorry you were inconvenienced, however this is not the first time the power has gone out in MP and it won't be the last. In fact we had an unrelated outage on Saturday in Central MP. Power was out for about an hour. It happens many times per year.

Still if you really want someone to pay for your groceries, you can always sue PG&E and Calwater in small claims court. However, they would argue the it is the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident that is at fault, so maybe take that guy to small claims.

Understanding PG&E claims policy and process

If you are a residential customer who has gone without power for at least 48 hours because of severe storm conditions, you may qualify for an automatic payment under our Safety Net program. This program provides a payment of $25 - $100, which we pay automatically about 60 days following the storm outage.

PLEASE NOTE: Do not submit a claim form to get a Safety Net payment. Visit Compensation for Extended Outages.

However, you may submit a claim if you believe that PG&E caused a loss for which you should be compensated. You can make this type of claim using various methods, but online is the fastest way for us to process it.
Learn how to submit a claim for compensation
Help us process your claim faster by completing our online form. Visit PG&E Claims. Provide photographs and the documentation needed for your type of claim, using the following guidelines:

For property damage. Detailed repair estimates and/or invoices or purchase records
For personal injury. Copy of medical records and receipts
For lost wages. The amount of time you were unable to work due to personal injury; verification of lost time from your employer and/or payroll stubs showing your hourly or daily pay rate
NOTE: You cannot receive compensation for the time spent pursuing your claim.

For lost revenues. Tax records and/or bank statements, payroll records, revenue and expense statements and sales receipts
For miscellaneous losses. Hotel and restaurant receipts and car rental receipts
For food spoilage.* An itemized list of the cost and type of spoiled perishable food, with receipts or other documentation.
*We evaluate food spoilage complaints based on the following recommended guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Fully stocked freezers usually keep food frozen for two days after losing power.
Half-full freezers usually keep food frozen for about one day.
Refrigerators usually keep food cold for up to four hours if the door remains unopened.
Submit a claim online
Complete the following steps to submit your claim online:

Complete our online form. Visit PG&E Claims.
Scan and email any additional supporting documents, as we instruct, to ClaimDocs@pge.com.
Include your claim number in the subject line so that our system can identify your claim.
NOTE: Use the email address in Step 2 to send supporting documents only as we request.

Submit a claim using other methods
You can submit your claim in several other ways. Complete the following steps for emailing, sending a FAX or sending us your claim form by U.S. Mail:

Complete our claim form. Download Claim Form (PDF, 51 KB)PDF. Opens in new Window..
Attach or include any supporting documentation. For email attachments, we only accept these file types: PDF, DOC, XLS and JPG.
Send your completed form and documentation using one of the following methods:
Email to lawclaims@pge.com
FAX to 1-925-459-7326
Mail to:
PG&E Law - Claims Dept.
1850 Gateway Blvd., 3rd Floor
Concord, CA, 94520
Get familiar with our claims policy and process
Learn about the factors that go into evaluating your claim and how long the process typically takes. To evaluate your claim fairly and respond promptly, we must understand the following info:
How the incident happened
Whether we caused the incident
The extent of your damages
What the law considers fair compensation

We evaluate each claim based on the info you provide and our own investigation, which may involve the following methods:
Reviewing records
Interviewing employees or witnesses
Completing a technical evaluation

Our goal is to reach a decision on your claim within 30 days of receipt. However, if a complex issue is involved or we need more info, the process might take longer. When our investigation is complete, we either call you or send you a letter explaining our decision.

Understand our responsibility
Generally speaking, PG&E is responsible for damages that result from our negligence. We are not responsible for damages that we do not cause or that are the result of forces beyond our control. For example, in most instances, we are not responsible in the following situations:

Power outages, voltage fluctuations or property damage caused by earthquakes, weather-related conditions, such as lightning, floods, extreme storms, heat or winds or other acts of nature
Losses associated with curtailments or outages initiated by an Electric Grid Operator
Losses due to a failure of gas supplies that we do not cause

If we are only partially responsible for a loss, we offer to pay our fair share.
Understand your responsibility
You can help the claims process go smoothly by following these recommendations:
Keep copies of all receipts for any loss or damage you suffer
Do your part to minimize your damages. For example, you can minimize damage by using ice to prevent food from spoiling during an extended outage
Make sure that the losses or expenses that you incur because of the incident are fair and reasonable. Losses and expenses may include wages, storage, car rental and hotel costs
Know your claims options
You have the option to submit your claim to your insurance company. The insurer may be able to reimburse you for the losses without an investigation. In some cases, your insurer can pay the replacement value for the damaged items. Your insurer and PG&E can determine responsibility for the damages and agree on the amount due, if any.
Read about denied claims
We evaluate all claims fairly. If your claim is denied, we explain the reason for the denial. If a specific gas or electric rule applies, we provide you with an explanation or a copy of the rule. If you are not satisfied with our decision and explanation, you can request an appeal of the decision from a Claims Supervisor. You also have the right, at any time in the claims process, to file a court action. If the value of your claim does not exceed $10,000, you can file a small claims action that does not require an attorney.
Understand time limits on filing a claim or court action
Submit a claim as soon as possible. Statutes of limitations apply for the filing of legal actions set by California or other applicable law. A statute of limitations is the length of time from the date of the incident in which you can still file a claim. The following info about statutes of limitations is based on our claims experience:

Food spoilage and other similar claims should be made promptly. Such claims are paid only if they are submitted and resolved within one year from the date of the incident.
Generally, the statute of limitations for filing an action involving personal injury is two years from the date of the incident.
Personal inconvenience claims (such as a meal out) have a statute of limitations of one year.
Business interruption or economic loss claims, where there is no property damage, have a statute of limitations of two years.
Tangible property damage claims have a statute of limitations of three years.
Give yourself enough time for the claim process. If you don’t submit and resolve your claim before the deadline, it will be denied. If you have questions about these limits, please consult an attorney.
Read about the role of California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
If you have a billing dispute that you are unable to resolve with PG&E, you can file a complaint with the CPUC. The CPUC sets general rules relating to claims processing, but it does not rule on the merits of individual claims. For more information about the role of the CPUC, call 1-800-649-7570 or visit the CPUC website. Visit California Public Utilities CommissionOpens in new Window..