Ocean County officials are asking Gov. Murphy to request the power companies reimburse citizens for the cost of food spoiled as a result of lengthy power outages since Tropical Storm Isaias hit the area on Aug. 4.
“When power outages go on for days, we cannot expect our residents, especially our senior citizens to go without some kind of reimbursement for food lost as a result of no electricity,” said Ocean County Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari, Chairman of Senior Services.
“Many of our residents had stocked up on food because of the coronavirus pandemic and they are concerned about leaving their home to go to the food stores.
“Now all the additional money spent on the extra food is basically in the garbage and so many elderly people living on fixed incomes do not have the money to replace it,” Vicari said.
“We need the utility companies to step up and help out.”
Food only last in a closed refrigerator for about 4 hours, maybe 6 at best.
Vicari along with Freeholder Gerry P. Little, liaison to the Ocean County Health Department, addressed the issue with Gov. Murphy’s staff earlier today.
While power outages continue to be widespread across the state, more than 150,000 homes were without power following Tuesday’s storm in Ocean County alone. Power is being restored gradually throughout the area. Electricity is provided to the majority of County residents through Jersey Central Power & Light Co. and Atlantic City Electric. Public Service Electric & Gas provides power to northern areas of the state.
“The hardship to so many of our residents is tremendous,” Little said. “The utility companies are a business and like all businesses they face liabilities. They should be responsible for this.
“They should provide help in this hardship situation,” he said.
Little and Vicari are expected to write a letter to the Governor urging him to seek compensation for customers that lost food.
Vicari noted that in addition to purchasing greater amounts of food due to limiting going food shopping, consumers have seen an increase in the price paid for food.
“We understand how powerful storms can be,” Vicari said. “But when power outages continue for days, our residents need to know they will get help from the companies they pay monthly for electricity.”
The frustration is highly understanding however, it’s not really their fault when you think about it. Having them pay people for the food or whatever is ruined, will only cause rates to go up. The Democrat party way of thinking is that companies just spend their own money when in reality, companies will spend money but somebody has to pay for it and in this case it will be the consumer once again.
What really should be done is to look at ways that electricity can be restored to areas as quickly as possible, even if it is only via generators etc. This way, those people who have been affected by storms such as this one can have electricity while it takes the electric company days to untangle all the trees and wires etc.
Going through this in a thoughtful way is more beneficial then mandating the electric company pay for expenses that it no doubt will pass back to the consumer in higher rates.
let’s use our brains to try to come up with something normal as opposed to just throwing out stupidity.
And from where are these generators coming? Those same people on fixed incomes cannot afford to buy generators, nor do they have a place to store them when not in use. If the electric company is required to supply them, the same would apply concerning raising our rates. They would just pass the cost of the generators, and gasoline to run them, onto the consumer. Any fix will cost money which will be passed on to the consumer, either in higher taxes or higher cost for services provided.
If they pass a law that electric companies mus credit customers bills $50 for every hour or $150 for every day or something along those lines, that power is out for more then 6 hours, the electric companies will suddenly figure out how to get their out of state employees here BEFORE the storm. Not 3 days later.
Agreed I didn’t have electric for 3 days and it was a big loss. It’s not just for seniors.. there are plenty who can’t afford to lose $3000 worth of food. I had asked jcpl for a generator or some help at all actually they were rude and obnoxious with their responses. I agree if they have to pay they will get it done in a timely manner or at least have some answers. They’re a huge company – after sandy they should’ve been more prepared. No other industry would get away with that.
Did you seriously think that JCPL would supply you with a generator? They would have to have provided 100,000 generators for Ocean County alone. That will never happen.
Really??
Maybe lakewood township should pay us when there is a big snow storm and we couldn’t go to work because they didn’t clean up fast enough? (I’m not complaining about their cleanups. I know that they do the best they can)
Or maybe LSTA should refund us for not bussing our kids to school for 1/3 of the year?
But the electric company? Really?
If the utility companies pay for it , we will pay for It as they will simply raise the electric rates to cover it
This is actually normal in other parts of the country. In NY for example, people can make a claim against ConEd for not restoring power fast enough, and their food spoiled. TLS doesn’t let the link be shown, but google it and you will see it.
Seriously, the power company should pay for your food losses because you didn’t prepare for a weather event that you were warned about? Sounds a bit entitled to me.