Outage credit: what to do

Have this ready

• outage dates and duration
• outage notices or ticket numbers

Steps for any company

1. Report the outage and get a ticket number.

2. Ask for a prorated credit for the days without service.

3. Check the bill after the credit to confirm it was applied.

A company playbook below replaces these generic steps with the company’s own forms, phone numbers and deadlines.

Company playbooks (56)

Electric, gas and water utilities

• Alabama PowerReport by phone, text or the app.
• AmerenReport outages online or in the app; register medical equipment for planned-outage notices.
• American Electric PowerReport outages online or to the operating company's emergency number.
• Arizona Public ServiceReport outages any time; register medical equipment users for planned-outage notices.
• Baltimore Gas and Electric CompanyReport the outage to BGE and check the outage map.
• CenterPoint EnergyHouston electric outages go to CenterPoint; register for Critical Care if someone depends on electric medical equipment.
• Commonwealth Edison CompanyReport the outage; ComEd reimburses storm and equipment-failure losses only under Illinois law for large outages (more than 30,000 customers for 4+ hours).
• Consolidated Edison Company of New YorkReport the outage, then claim reimbursement for spoiled food and medicine within 30 days if the outage was a Con Edison distribution failure over 12 hours.
• Consumers EnergyReport the outage; MPSC outage credits are automatic. Call after 90 days if the credit is missing.
• Dominion EnergyReport online or by phone; register medical equipment users in advance.
• DTE EnergyReport the outage; MPSC outage credits are automatic. DTE pays damage claims it is responsible for, not storm food loss.
• Duke EnergyReport the outage to the outage line for your operating company, by text, or in the app.
• Duquesne Light CompanyReport outages online, in the app or by phone; check breakers first if only your home is out.
• EntergyReport by phone, text, online or the app.
• EvergyReport the outage online or by phone. For a downed line, stay away and call 911 first.
• Eversource EnergyReport the outage online; Eversource does not reimburse damage from service interruptions caused by storms, equipment failure or other causes beyond its control.
• FirstEnergyReport outages by phone, text or online; FirstEnergy does not pay for food or equipment lost in a weather-related outage.
• Florida Power & Light CompanyReport outages any time by phone or online.
• Georgia PowerReport outages and downed lines by phone or online.
• National Grid (US)Report the outage; in New York, claim food and medicine spoilage within 14 days after a 72-hour outage; file other property damage with the Claims Department.
• New York State Electric & GasReport electric outages to the outage line or online; report gas emergencies from a safe place.
• Northern Indiana Public Service CompanyReport electric outages online or at 1-800-464-7726 (24/7).
• Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company (OG&E)Report the outage online, in the app or by phone; OG&E repairs the line to the house and the meter, the owner repairs the meter box and the cable on the house.
• Oncor Electric DeliveryReport the outage to Oncor; the retail provider cannot restore power.
• Pacific Gas and Electric CompanyReport the outage; PG&E pays an automatic Safety Net payment after 48+ hours in a severe storm, and otherwise pays claims only where it was at fault.
• PacifiCorpReport the outage by phone or text; PacifiCorp generally does not pay outage or food spoilage claims.
• PECO Energy CompanyReport outages and downed lines to PECO by phone or online.
• Portland General ElectricReport the outage online or on the 24-hour line; PGE pays outage losses only when it was negligent, not for weather.
• Potomac Electric Power CompanyReport outages online, in the app, by text or by phone at any time.
• PPL Electric UtilitiesReport outages online or by phone; report downed wires by phone at any hour.
• PSEG Long IslandReport the outage at 1-800-490-0075; PSEG Long Island pays claims only for damage it caused, not weather or equipment failure.
• Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G)Report the outage; PSE&G pays claims only for damage it caused and does not pay for weather or equipment failure.
• Puget Sound EnergyReport the outage; PSE credits $50 if a non-major-storm outage lasts more than 24 hours, and $50 after 120 consecutive hours, if you report or ask within 7 days of restoration.
• Reliant EnergyReport outages to the TDSP, not to Reliant.
• Rochester Gas and ElectricReport electric outages to the outage line or online; report gas emergencies from a safe place.
• San Diego Gas & ElectricReport the outage; file a claim if you believe SDG&E caused a loss. SDG&E is not liable for failures beyond its reasonable control such as weather.
• Southern California EdisonReport the outage; SCE pays claims for losses caused by its negligence, not for weather outages.
• Southern California Gas CompanyFor damage or loss you believe SoCalGas caused, file a claim online or by mail or fax.
• Tampa Electric CompanyReport the outage online or by phone; Tampa Electric's tariff limits its liability for interruptions.
• TXU EnergyReport outages to the TDU, not to TXU.
• Washington Gas Light CompanyFor a suspected gas leak, leave and call 911, then the emergency line; check gas outages on the outage map.
• We EnergiesReport electric outages online or by phone; texts and emails are not accepted for outages.

Internet, cable, satellite and home phone

• Astound BroadbandAsk for an outage credit; the terms promise credit for qualifying outages but give no amount.
• Cox CommunicationsFormer Cox customers are getting Spectrum's Customer Service Commitments, including credits for outages over two hours, within a year of the merger.
• FrontierReport the outage; Frontier's internet terms reserve the right to refuse outage credits.
• gFiberThe Uptime Guarantee applies a 25% credit automatically when monthly uptime falls below 99.9%.
• KineticReport promptly and ask for a credit for interruptions over 24 hours.
• MediacomAsk for a prorated credit when service is out for more than 24 hours.
• OptimumAsk for a credit after an outage; credits are discretionary and capped at one billing period.
• SpectrumAsk for a credit for outages over two hours; request it within 60 days of the outage.
• StarlinkResidential plans get no outage credits; only Local and Global Priority plans have an uptime SLA.
• XfinityUse the outage credit checker for a quick credit; request a pro rata credit within 120 days for outages over 24 hours.

Wireless carriers

• AT&TAT&T Guarantee gives an automatic one-day credit for a qualifying network interruption. Ask customer care if it does not appear.
• Straight Talk WirelessThe Terms give no outage credit.
• VerizonPostpay customers who lose service for more than 24 hours in a row through Verizon's fault can ask for a credit within 180 days.
• VisibleFor an outage over 24 hours in a row that is Visible's fault, contact Customer Care within 180 days for a credit.

Guides

• Wireless carriers — how complaints work
• Internet, cable and satellite TV — how complaints work
• Electric and gas utilities — how complaints work
• Subscriptions — how complaints work