PSEG Will Reimburse Customers For Tropical Storm Isaias Loses, But There’s A Catch

Public Service Electric and Gas Co. (PSE&G) and Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) customers in New Jersey and New York who waited days to get their electricity reinstated following Tropical Storm Isaias earlier this month are about to get some relief.

PSEG has announced that it will reimburse its customers for food or medication lost due to power outages related to the storm. However, there is a catch.

Residents who lost power for 72 hours or more between Aug. 4-12 are eligible for a reimbursement up to $250, if they can prove it, that is. Customers submitting food spoilage claims of $150 or less are required to submit an itemized list of items lost. Those who submit a claim for over that amount will have to provide an itemized list and proof by way of a receipt, canceled check, or photographs of the spoiled items.

Customers submitting claims for lost medication due to lack of refrigeration are also required to submit an itemized list and proof of loss. A maximum of $300 is available for medication reimbursements.

Commercial customers of PSEG are also receiving a break of up to $5,000 but must also supply an itemized list of spoiled food and invoices, inventory lists, or bank statements confirming the loss of product.

While the over 575,000 residents affected by the storm may be getting a reimbursement, some have taken to social media to slam the company's claims process. While some took issue with the cap PSEG put on the reimbursement, others complained about the documentation required to get paid.

“How about you give everyone that was affected a credit...just do the right thing for everyone!” one user wrote in response to PSEG Long Island's tweet announcing the claims process.

“Wish you had decided to do this BEFORE I tossed three lawn sized garbage bags full of spoiled food. I would have happily taken pictures of every last item,” wrote another customer.

“We were displaced for 5 days and had to throw out everything in the fridge and freezer. We were under the impression that there would be no reimbursement, so we did not take pictures nor save receipts. Does not mean people weren’t affected,” one user tweeted.

Another customer complained PSEG's announcement is a small reprieve following their response to the storm, writing, “Gee, if you had announced this as an official policy as a plan prior to us losing power, we could have been prepared and taken a picture of our spoiled food....announcing this after the fact as a band-aid, when assuredly no one has proof of loss, is an absurdly empty gesture.”

In a statement, PSE&G President Dave Daly said the reimbursements are the company's way of trying to give back amid the hardships customers faced losing their power during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Given the unique combination of circumstances, we believe the right thing to do is to expand our claims process to ease the burden on the customers most impacted by Tropical Storm Isaias,” he said.

PSEG and PSE&G are accepting claims now through Sept. 16. Reimbursements, warned the company, may take up to 60 days to process. Customers can send their claims via email, mail, or fax.

Long Island, New York, residents can find their forms here and New Jersey customers can locate their forms here.