San Francisco residents and businesses continue to face challenges after a 10-hour PG&E outage in December, with many criticizing the $2,500 compensation as insufficient for their losses
San Francisco Residents Address PG&E After Power Outage
San Francisco residents are dealing with the aftermath of a late December power outage. The outage left many without power for over 10 hours and cost businesses money. PG&E has offered $2,500 to cover losses, which many claim is insufficient.
Customer Frustrations with Claims Process
PG&E customers in San Francisco expressed their ongoing frustration with the power company. They met to discuss their concerns about the claims process after the holiday outage. Many customers feel the compensation offered is too low.
Impact on Local Businesses
Joe’s Ice Cream suffered losses due to the outage. Owner Sean Kim reported that the outage left his ice cream unrefrigerated and inedible. “So that’s the problem,” Kim said. “We had to throw away 16 buckets of melted ice cream.”
PG&E’s Response to Claims
PG&E representatives met with customers in the Richmond and Sunset Districts, which were heavily affected. The company stated that $200 for residential customers and $2,500 for businesses is a starting point. “A lot of customers may have lost more than that,” said Tamar Sarkissian from PG&E. “We encourage them to go through the claims process.”
Challenges Faced by Customers
Customers reported frustrations with the claims process. Chinese language speakers complained about having to fill out paper forms instead of using an online process. PG&E explained that this is to avoid technical issues during translation.
Other customers found the process frustrating due to limited space to list their losses. They hope PG&E understands their concerns. “PG&E needed to understand this industry’s reality,” Kim said.
Local Leadership Calls for Action
Sunset District Supervisor Alan Wong walked with PG&E representatives through local business areas. He stated that PG&E has been slow to respond to business concerns. “They should’ve done this way sooner,” Wong said.
PG&E’s Commitment to Customers
PG&E is meeting with customers throughout San Francisco with culturally competent representatives. They aim to address concerns and build trust. “We have customer service lines for various languages,” Sarkissian said. “We’re here on site and will continue to be.”
City Leaders Demand Accountability
San Francisco city leaders are calling for hearings to investigate the outage and hold PG&E accountable. Meanwhile, state lawmakers are working on a plan for the city to take over the power grid.
| Event | Date | Duration | Compensation Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Outage | Late December | 10 hours | $2,500 for businesses, $200 for residential |
