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CC SR 20150721 F - League of CA Cities SCE Power Outage CompensationMEMORANDUM TO: HONORABLE MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM: CAROLYNN PETRO, AMP, DEPUTY CITY MANAGED DATE: JULY 21, 2015 SUBJECT: LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES 2015 ANNUAL CONFERENCE RESOLUTION REGARDING AUTO- MATIC POWER OUTAGE COMPENSATION FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON CUSTOMERS REVIEWED BY: DOUG WILLMORE, CITY MANAGER ktA-"j Staff Coordinator: Kit Fox, AICP, Senior Administrative Analyst RECOMMENDATION Review and approve the proposed League of California Cities 2015 Annual Conference Resolution regarding automatic power outage compensation for Southern California Edison customers; and authorize Staff to submit this proposed resolution to the League for the consideration of the General Assembly at its annual conference in San Jose this fall. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City Council recently sent letters to Senator Ben Allen and Assemblymember David Hadley requesting that they propose legislation that would establish a requirement for the automatic, direct compensation of Southern California Edison (SCE) customers who experience prolonged power outages, similar to the program that Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) provides to its customers in Central and Northern California. To line up additional support for this proposed legislation from other cities, Staff believes that it might be useful to present a resolution for the consideration of the General Assembly at this year's annual League of California Cities (League) conference in San Jose. In order to meet the August 1St submittal deadline for the League's annual conference resolutions, Staff presents a draft resolution for the City Council's review and approval, and requests authorization to proceed with its submittal to the League. 1 MEMORANDUM: League of California Cities Conference Resolution Proposal July 21, 2015 Page 2 BACKGROUND The League's Annual Conference Resolutions process is one way that city officials can directly participate in the development of League policy. The deadline to submit resolutions for this year's conference in San Jose (September 30th -October 2nd) is August 1, 2015. Any elected or appointed city official, individual city, division, department, policy committee, or the board of directors may submit a resolution for consideration at the conference. Resolutions must be submitted to the League's Sacramento office no later than sixty (60) days prior to the opening of the conference. Resolutions should focus on direct municipal issues of statewide importance. Resolutions submitted to the General Assembly must provide written documentation of concurrence by five (5) cities or by city officials from at least five (5) or more cities. This may be in the form of a letter from the city or the city official in support. For concurrence by a city official, the official's city and office held must be included in the letter. All concurrences must be submitted at the time the resolution is submitted to the League. The League President refers resolutions to the League policy committees for review and recommendation at the conference. Resolutions are next considered by the General Resolutions Committee (GRC), which consists of representatives from each division, department, policy committee and individuals appointed by the League President. Resolutions approved by the policy committee and/or GRC are next considered by General Assembly. Resolutions disapproved or referred by both the policy committee and GRC will not proceed to the General Assembly. Resolutions approved by the General Assembly become League policy. Other action on resolutions can include: referred back to a policy committee; amended; disapproved; or, no action. In order to supplement and further support the City Council's recent action regarding customer compensation for prolonged SCE outages, Staff believes that it may be useful to present a resolution for consideration at the annual League conference. In addition to the resolution itself, the City would also need to solicit support from at least five (5) other cities and/or city officials in the form of concurrence letters. Therefore, Staff has prepared a draft resolution and a sample concurrence letter for the City Council's review, and seeks authorization from the City Council to proceed with submittal of this resolution to the League on or before the August 1St deadline. DISCUSSION The draft resolution (attached) calls upon the Governor and the State Legislature to work with the League to enact legislation or to otherwise compel SCE to create a program to 2 MEMORANDUM: League of California Cities Conference Resolution Proposal July 21, 2015 Page 3 automatically provide direct compensation to its customers affected by prolonged electrical power outages under specified circumstances. The draft resolution also calls upon such program to be modeled upon those at Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), in that it would provide direct, automatic compensation to SCE customers affected by prolonged outages without the need to file a claim with SCE. This is consistent with the requests made of Senator Allen and Assemblymember Hadley on July 1St The League's Annual Conference Resolution process requires the submittal of written concurrence for a proposed resolution from at least five (5) other cities and/or city officials. A sample concurrence letter is attached. With the City Council's authorization, Staff will circulate the draft resolution and sample letter to Palos Verdes Peninsula, South Bay and San Gabriel Valley cities that have experienced SCE reliability issues similar to ours. CONCLUSION In conclusion, Staff seeks input from the City Council on the draft resolution and sample concurrence letter, and authorization to proceed with the submittal of the resolution and concurrence letters to the League on or before the August 1St deadline. ALTERNATIVES In addition to Staff's recommendation, the following alternatives are available for the City Council's consideration: 1. Do not approve the proposed resolution or authorize Staff to submit it to the League. FISCAL IMPACT There is no significant fiscal impact associated with Staff's preparation and submittal of the draft resolution and concurrence letters to the League. The City Manager is already planning to attend the League conference. Attachments: • Proposed League of California Cities Annual Conference Resolution (page 4) Sample concurrence letter (page 6) Letters sent to Senator Allen and Assemblymember Hadley on July 1St (page 7) MALegislative Issues\League of California Cities\20150721_LeagueConferenceResolution_StaffRpt.docx 9 RESOLUTION CALLING UPON THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE TO WORK WITH THE LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES TO ENACT LEGISLATION OR TO OTHERWISE COMPEL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON TO CREATE A PROGRAM TO AUTOMATICALLY PROVIDE DIRECT COMPENSATION TO ITS CUSTOMERS AFFECTED BY PROLONGED ELECTRICAL POWER OUTAGES UNDER SPECIFIED CIRCUMSTANCES. Source: City of Rancho Palos Verdes Concurrence of five or more cities/city officials: TBD Referred to: TBD Recommendations to General Resolutions Committee: Approve WHEREAS, local governments in California are often reliant upon investor-owned private utility companies for the provision of electrical power to their citizens, businesses and institutions; and, WHEREAS, the reliability and consistency of electrical supply and transmission is critically important to local governments to ensure the protection of the ,public safety, health and general welfare of communities; and, WHEREAS, prolonged disruptions in' electrical service can jeopardize the health of citizens who have a variety of physical challenges and rely on a constant source of power for medical devices; the safety of, senior citizens who are particularly susceptible to injury if power outages persist for long periiod's of time into evening hours; and the financial well-being of citizens, businesses ,and institutions that suffer from the loss of food, medication and other perishable items during prolonged power outages; and, WfEREAS, SouthernCalifornia Edison (SCE), an investor-owned utility serving 15 million customers in Southern and Central California, experiences frequent and prolonged service disruptions due to both planned and unplanned outages, equipment failures aril weather-related events, which adversely affect local governments within its service area; and. WHEREAS, SCE has been fined by the California Public Utilities Commission in the past due to prolonged service disruptions, most recently being levied a $24.5 million penalty as a result of aProlonged outage that resulted from a wind storm in 2011; and, WHEREAS, although SCE provides a claim process by which its customers may seek compensation for financial losses incurred as a result of prolonged service disruptions, SCE appears to reject most such claims; which places an unreasonable burden upon its customers and creates a false impression that customers will be compensated for their losses; and, WHEREAS, at least one other investor-owned utility in California, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) in Northern and Central California, has existing programs and procedures 11 in place ("Safety Net" and "Service Guarantee") that automatically and directly compensate its customers when they are affected by prolonged service disruptions, including disruptions due to weather events and other causes, without the need for customers to seek compensation through a claim process; and, WHEREAS, these PG&E programs provide for "Storm Inconvenience Payments" of $25 to $100 for weather-related service disruptions of forty-eight (48) hours or more; as well as $30 service credits in instances of where the customer's electrical service is not restored within four (4) hours, or the customer is not provided with a time for service restoration within four (4) hours; the customer is without electrical service for twenty-four (24) hours or more in the event of unplanned service disruptions (unless the cause of the disruption is completely beyond the utility's control); and the customer is without electrical service as a result of a planned service interruption where less than seventy-two (72) hours' notice is provided to the customer; and, WHEREAS, local governments within SCE's service area believe that requiring SCE to implement automatic and direct compensation programs for prolonged service disruptions, similar to those implemented by PG&E, will provide tangible relief to citizens, businesses and institutions that are adversely affected by prolonged outages, and will incentivize SCE to improve the reliability of its equipment and service; and now therefore let it be, RESOLVED by the General Assembly ;of the League of California Cities, assembled in Sacramento on October 2, 2015, that the League calls for the Governor and the Legislature to work wiW the League.of California Cities to enact legislation or to otherwise compel SCE to create a program to automatically provide direct compensation to its customers affected by prolonged 'electrical power outages under specified circumstances; and let it be, FURTHER RESOLVED'tat such program shall be modeled upon PG&E's "Safety Net" and "Service Guarantee" programs, and shall cover weather-related events and planned and unplanned service disruptions. 5 July 21, 2015 Stephany Aguilar, President League of California Cities 1400 K St., Ste. 400 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear President Aguilar: The City of supports the City of Rancho Palos Verdes' effort to submit a resolution for consideration by the General Assembly at the League's 2015 Annual Conference in San Jose. The City of Rancho Palos Verdes' resolution seeks, to address the failure of Southern California Edison (SCE) to reasonably compensate its customers for losses incurred due to prolonged service disruptions. Prolonged electrical outages jeopardize the public safety, health and general welfare of the communities within SCE's service area. Among the populations that are most at risk as a result of outages are: • Customers with physical challenges who rely on a constant source of power for medical devices; • Customers who are senior citizens and are particularly susceptible to injury if power outages persist for long periods of time into evening, --hours; and, • Customers who suffer financial burdens as a result of losing food, medication and other perishable items duringprolonged power outages. At least one other California utility, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), provides automatic, direct rebates to its customers in the event of prolonged power outages for a variety of causes, including severe weather and other planned and unplanned outages. Rebates are provided automatically toIP &E's customers without filing a claim, which we believe demonstrates that such a aroaram is feasible for SCE as well. [insert , if applicable] As a member of the League, our city values the policy development opportunity provided by the Annual Conference Resolution process. We appreciate your time and consideration of this important issue. Please feel free to contact [name] at (###) ###- #### or e.mail `city.gov if you have any questions. Sincerely, [name] Title Al • ,JIM KNI(.;HT, MAYOR SUSAN BROOKS, MAYOR PRO IEM BRIAN CAMPHI I-L, COUNCILMAN JERRY V. DUHOVIG, COUNCILMAN ANTI IOi`Y 1'J. MISLTICH, ( .OHNCILMAN July 1, 2015 VIA U.S. MAIL & FACSIMILE FAX: (916) 651-4926 The Honorable Senator Ben Allen State Capitol, Rm. 2054 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Senator Allen: The City Council of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes is writing to you on behalf of its residents to express our collective concerns regarding the ineffective process by which the Southern California Edison Company ("Edison") addresses residents' claims, and to obtain your assistance in correcting that process. Although we write on behalf of our residents, we believe that these concerns apply to all of the areas and customers that are served by Edison. By way of background, on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Edison's aged infrastructure has caused fires and repeated, prolonged power outages. The prolonged power outages are the focus of this request, because they adversely affect the City's residents in a variety of ways. In particular, the City Council is deeply concerned for: 1. Residents who have a variety of physical challenges and rely on a constant source of power for medical devices; 2. Residents who are senior citizens and are particularly susceptible to injury if power outages persist for a long period of time into the evening hours; and, 3. Residents who suffer financial burdens as a result of losing food, medication and other perishable items during prolonged power outages. Edison's claims process does not cover planned power outages, regardless of whether the outage extends beyond the estimated timeframe that was given by Edison. In addition, Edison's claims process does riot apply to unplanned power outages, unless the outage was caused by a failure of Edison's equipment." Further, if the outage is caused by an outside event, such as a windstorm, any resulting outage is not eligible for reimbursement pursuant to the Edison claims process, which reduces Edison's incentive In the City's experience, Edison will not acknowledge responsibility for the failure of its equipment, and will fight tooth and nail to disavow such responsibility, even when faced with irrefutable facts to the contrary. 30940 I Bout..Lv\RO / RANCHO PALOS VE.RoeS, C/\ 00215-5391 / (310) 544-5207 /(AX (310) 544-5291 / wwwiU PV.COivi �. PI�IN7ED ON RECYCLE=D I�APLIi Senator Ben Allen July 1, 2015 Page 2 to restore the power promptly in these circumstances. This is true even when the resident provides documentation of financial loss due to items such as food spoilage. The City Council is aware that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has recognized these issues previously when it penalized Edison in the amount of $24.5 million as a result of the prolonged power outages that followed the unusual wind event in 2011. However, that penalty does not seem to have affected Edison's attitude towards its customers. In our view, Edison's customers need to receive immediate compensation from Edison for prolonged power outages without having to go through Edison's claim process. The City Council is also aware that another California utility, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), provides automatic, direct rebates to its customers in the event of prolonged power outages for a variety of causes, including severe weather and other planned and unplanned outages. These rebates, which are summarized in the enclosed information from PG&E's website, range from $25 to $100 depending upon the type and duration of a given outage. Rebates are provided automatically to PG&E's customers without filing a claim, which we believe demonstrates that such a program is feasible for Edison, too. For these reasons, the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council requests that you propose legislation that will require Edison to modify its processes to mirror those of PG&E as follows: 1. Customers shall receive rebates in the event of unplanned service disruptions resulting from major weather-related events exceeding forty-eight (48) hours in length as follows: 48-72 hours: $25 ® 72--96 hours: $50 96-120 hours: $75 120+ hours: $100 2. Customers shall receive rebates of $30 in the event of unplanned service disruptions where either: a) the customer's electrical service of not restored within four (4) hours; or b) the customer is not provided with a time for service restoration within four (4) hours. 3. Customers shall receive rebates of $30 for each 24-hour period that the customer is without electrical service in the event of unplanned service disruptions (unless the cause of the disruption is completely beyond the utility's control). 4. Customers shall receive rebates of $30 in the event of a planned service interruption where less than seventy-two (72) hours' notice is provided to the customer. These penalties are designed to provide direct compensation to Edison's customers who are adversely affected by prolonged power outages and to incentivize Edison to restore Senator Ben Allen July 1, 2015 Page 3 the power as quickly as possible. They also will eliminate the frustration that Edison's customers experience as a result of Edison's existing claim process. The City Council will be requesting other governmental entities, the League of California Cities and the California Contract Cities Association to support this legislation that will make Edison directly accountable to its customers. Thank you for your anticipated assistance with this important issue. Very truly yours, j�. Jil) night Mayor enclosures cc: Rancho Palos Verdes City Council Doug Willmore, City Manager Carolynn Petru, Deputy City Manager Carol Lynch, City Attorney Kit Fox, Senior Administrative Analyst MALegislative Issues\20150707_Allen_SCEPowerOutages.docx 01 ,JIM KNIaHT. MAYOR SUSAN BROOKS, MAYOR PROEM BRIAN GAMPENTI.,, COUNCILMAN JERRY V. OUI IOVIC. C01JNCILiMAN iANTIIONY Irl. MISE IICI1, (blH.11-MAN July 1, 2015 VIA U.S. MAIL & FACSIMILE FAX: (916) 319-2166 The Honorable Assemblymember David Hadley State Capitol, Rm. 4102 Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Assemblymember Hadley: The City Council of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes is writing to you on behalf of its residents to express our collective concerns regarding the ineffective process by which the Southern California Edison Company ("Edison") addresses residents' claims, and to obtain your assistance in correcting that process. Although we write on behalf of our residents, we believe that these concerns apply to all of the areas and customers that are served by Edison. By way of background, on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Edison's aged infrastructure has caused fires and repeated, prolonged power outages. The prolonged power outages are the focus of this request, because they adversely affect the City's residents in a variety of ways. In particular, the City Council is deeply concerned for: 1. Residents who have a variety of physical challenges and rely on a constant source of power for medical devices; 2. Residents who are senior citizens and are particularly susceptible to injury if power outages persist for a long period of time into the evening hours; and, 3. Residents who suffer financial burdens as a result of losing food, medication and other perishable items during prolonged power outages. Edison's claims process does not cover planned power outages, regardless of whether the outage extends beyond the estimated timeframe that was given by Edison. In addition, Edison's claims process does not apply to unplanned power outages, unless the outage was caused by a failure of Edison's equipment." Further, if the outage is caused by an outside event, such as a windstorm, any resulting outage is not eligible for reimbursement pursuant to the Edison claims process, which reduces Edison's incentive " In the City's experience, Edison will not acknowledge responsibility for the failure of its equipment, and will fight tooth and nail to disavow such responsibility, even when faced with irrefutable facts to the contrary. 3094011AW11IORNE BOULL-VARD / RANCHO PALOS V[RDEs, (;A 9W75-5391 / (310) 544-5207 / Fi\X (310) 544-5291 / WWk,V/.RPV.CONI PRINTED ON RI -CYCLED I NTR 10 Assemblymember ®avid Hadley July 1, 2015 Page 2 to restore the power promptly in these circumstances. This is true even when the resident provides documentation of financial loss due to items such as food spoilage. The City Council is aware that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has recognized these issues previously when it penalized Edison in the amount of $24.5 million as a result of the prolonged power outages that followed the unusual wind event in 2011. However, that penalty does not seem to have affected Edison's attitude towards its customers. In our view, Edison's customers need to receive immediate compensation from Edison for prolonged power outages without having to go through Edison's claim process. The City Council is also aware that another California utility, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), provides automatic, direct rebates to its customers in the event of prolonged power outages for a variety of causes, including severe weather and other planned and unplanned outages. These rebates, which are summarized in the enclosed information from PG&E's website, range from $25 to $100 depending upon the type and duration of a given outage. Rebates are provided automatically to PG&E's customers without filing a claim, which we believe demonstrates that such a program is feasible for Edison, too. For these reasons, the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council requests that you propose legislation that will require Edison to modify its processes to mirror those of PG&E as follows: 1. Customers shall receive rebates in the event of unplanned service disruptions resulting from major weather-related events exceeding forty-eight (48) hours in length as follows: • 48-72 hours: $25 ® 72-96 hours: $50 ® 96-120 hours: $75 ® 120+ hours: $100 2. Customers shall receive rebates of $30 in the event of unplanned service disruptions where either: a) the customer's electrical service of not restored within four (4) hours; or b) the customer is not provided with a time for service restoration within four (4) hours. 3. Customers shall receive rebates of $30 for each 24-hour period that the customer is without electrical service in the event of unplanned service disruptions (unless the cause of the disruption is completely beyond the utility's control). 4. Customers shall receive rebates of $30 in the event of a planned service interruption where less than seventy-two (72) hours' notice is provided to the customer. These penalties are designed to provide direct compensation to Edison's customers who are adversely affected by prolonged power outages and to incentivize Edison to restore 11 Assemblymember David Hadley July 1, 2015 Page 3 the power as quickly as possible. They also will eliminate the frustration that Edison's customers experience as a result of Edison's existing claim process. The City Council will be requesting other governmental entities, the League of California Cities and the California Contract Cities Association to support this legislation that will make Edison directly accountable to its customers. Thank you for your anticipated assistance with this important issue. Very truly yours, J°(minight M�' enclosures cc: Rancho Palos Verdes City Council Doug Willmore, City Manager Carolynn Petru, Deputy City Manager Carol Lynch, City Attorney Kit Fox, Senior Administrative Analyst WLegislative Issues120150707_Hadley_SCEPowerOutages.docx 12 7/1/2015 Compensation for Extended Outages I PG&E EMERGENCY Safety About Search MY HOME MY BUSINESS BUSINESS TO BUSINESS My Bill & Account Service Requests Outages Find Ways to Save Additional Services Language & Speech Services Compensation for Extended Outages Energy Choice Energy System Status STORMS MESSAGE: If you are a residential customer and have gone without power for at least 48 hours due to severe storm conditions, you Brochures &Forms may qualify for a payment under PG&E's Safety Net Program. This PG&E Contacted Me program provides for the automatic payment of $25 - $100, which is Contact Us paid about 60 days following the storm outage. In some cases, - Departing Load processing may take 90-120 days (heavy storm season{. Underground Conversion While our crews and emergency response teams at PG&E do everything Share My Data they can to keep the tights on, there are rare occasions when Mother More Services Nature impacts our ability to keep power flowing to every one of our customers. Safety Net Program We understand how inconvenient it is for customers who go without power for 48 hours or longer due to severe events, such as a storm. That Is why PG&E created the following: Catt our outage hotline at 1-888-PGE-4PGE or 1-888-743-4743 to speak with someone about your particular outage. PG&E will Provide payments to residential customers we determine were without power for more than 48 hours due toa severe storm. The payments will range from $25 up to $100, depending on the length of the outage. Of course, PG&E is working to minimize the potential for outage problems in the future. White we cannot guarantee that Mother Nature witl never behave badly, we can tell you, day and night, over 20,000 men and women are focused on providing our customers with responsive service at fair prices. We are constantly working to improve and strengthen our electric system and find ways to safeguard against future outages. Eligibility The Storm Inconvenience Payment provision of the Safety Net Program applies to residential customers only (rate schedules E- 1, E-6, E-7, E-8, E-9, EM, ES, ESR, ET, and EV); customers also maybe enrolled in programs such as CARE and medical baseline. Businesses, agricultural accounts, multi -fatuity building common areas, streettights, and all other, customers other than residential customers are ineligible for Storm Inconvenience Payments. Storm Inconvenience Payments wilt not be issued to customers in areas where access to PG&E's electric facilities was blocked (mud slides, road closures or other access issues). Also, if customer equipment prevented restorat or extended customer outage (ex. weatherhead, service drop, etc.). The outage must have occurred during a major weather-related event that caused significant damage to PG&E's electric distribution system. The outage must have tasted more than 48 hours. Storm inconvenience Payments are in increments of $25 ($100 maximum per event). Payment levels are based on the length of the customer's outage: 48 to 72 hours $25 72 to 96 hours $50 96 to 120 hours $75 Gtr ENGLISH My Act:xtUM 92TIMPOR5 1 • Outage Compensation FAQ http://www.pge.com/en/myhome/addservices/energystatus/extendedoutages/index.page 13 1/2 7/1/2015 Compensation for Extended Outages I PG&E 120 hours or more $100 Both bundled -service and direct -access residential customers qualify for Storm Inconvenience Payments. Storm Inconvenience Payments will be issued to the customer of record. A customer with multiple residential services such as a primary residence and a vacation home is eligible for Storm Inconvenience Payments at each location where there was a storm -related outage of more than 48 hours. Customers must have an open account (service agreement) in good standing at the time of the outage and at the time payment is issued (generally 45 to 60 days after the event). For master -metered accounts such as mobile home parks, the customer of record will receive the Storm Inconvenience Payment for the master meter only. Note: Customers who experience an extended outage not related to a storm or severe event may be eligible for the Service Guarantee Program, -Back The Green Lighting or nsfor Button HVAC Project? I!t Download your We can help you get ment detailed energy the best results. s usage with one click. Learn more --) Learn more 4 Learn more Careers Privacy Accessibility Contact Us Newsroom Regulation y © A © Pacific Gas & Electric Company 14 hftp://www.pge.com/en/myhome/addservices/energystatus/extendedoutages/l`ndex.page 2/2 7/1/2015 Outage Compensation - Frequently Asked Questions I PG&E EMERGENCY Safety `)out MY HOME MY BUSINESS BUSINESS TO BUSINESS My Bitl & Account Service Requests Outages Find Ways to Save Additional Services Language & Speech Services Energy Choice Energy System Status Brochures & Forms PG&E Contacted Me Contact Us Departing Load Underground Conversion Share My Data More Services Outage Compensation - Frequently Asked Questions How soon should I call Pacific Gas and Electric Company about my outage? GO ENGLISH t`.1iy 1-',.rrntn it Expand All Collapse All We rely on customers like you to tell us when your power is out—you are an important part of our ability to identify and respond to damage caused by storms, heat, accidents and other occurrences that can affect power lines. Your correct phone number on file with us (the phone number associated with the place where you get service), allows us to provide you with more accurate information about the status of the outage you are experiencing. If you have any doubts about whether or not we have that number on file, please call us any time at 1 -800 -PGE -5000. Update your phone number—don't wait for a storm. Should I then call again if my outage goes beyond 48 hours? If you have gone without power for more than 48 hours you can call our special outage hotline 11-888-743-4743 or 1-888-PGE- 4PGEI to speak with a service representative about your particular outage and the services available to you. If I accept your check, do I forfeit my right to submit a claim should I have damages due to being without power for this extended period of time? The check has no bearing on your right to submit a claim. We want to send the check simply as our acknowledgment of the inconvenience we know the extended outage caused you. What happens if I know I was out for more than 48 hours but didn't get a check? In most cases, Pacific Gas and Electric Company will be able to identify customers who are eligible to receive a check from internal records. However, if your power was out over 48 hours and you do not receive a check within 60 days of your outage, please call 1-800-743-5000 to alert our service representative. What if I call the 48-hour extended outage number even though I haven't been out of power for 48 hours? We won't hang up on you, but you may prevent others who really need to get through from making contact with a live representative. The 48-hour line is intended to work much like the 911 number you call for emergencies. Both lines wilt put you through to individuals who can help, but only if the tines remain open for true emergencies. Please don't call the 48-hour line unless you've truly gone without power for more than 48 hours. Will I get paid if my outage is not caused by a severe storm? Outages not caused by emergency events such as severe storm conditions are covered by another Pacific Gas and Electric Company program, known as the Service Guarantee Program. Under this program, we will credit your bill $25 for each 24-hour period after you have been without power for 24 hours. Is the storm inconvenience payment available for all customers? This storm inconvenience payment wilt be paid only to residential customers. However, all customers without power for longer than 48 hours can call 1-888-743-4743 or 1-888-PGE-4PGE. What is the purpose of this program? The program's intent is to acknowledge the particular inconvenience to those residential customers who are without power for 48 hours or longer due to severe events such as storms. How is this program funded? This voluntary program is paid for by Pacific Gas and Electric Company's shareholders, not by its customers. 15 http://www.pge.com/en/myhome/addservices/energystatus/extendedoutages/faq/index.page 1/2 7/1/2015 Outage Compensation - Frequently Asked Questions I PG&E Demand Response Food and Know What's Energy Reduction Agriculture I Below Strate ies (Incentives , g call 811 before • t_ Find out ways to you dig save. 4 Learn More 4 Learn more y Learn more Careers Privacy Accessibility Contact Us Newsroom Regulation 9 ® A [a © Pacific Gas & Electric Company 16 http://www.pge.com/en/myhome/addservices/energystatus/extendedoutages/faq/index.page 2/2 1111MM11 11 Service Guarantees EMERGENCY Safety About Search GQ ENGLISH MY HOME MY BUSINESS BUSINESS TO BUSINESS My Bill & Account Service Requests Outages Find Ways to Save Additional Services My Account Return to Home Page Return to Previous Page Service Guarantees Gas and electricity are essential to keep your life running smoothly, safely and efficiently. When your service is interrupted or in need of repair, you expect a reasonable and timely response. To ensure that we provide this to you, PG&E has implemented service guarantees, which spell out our commitment to prompt customer service for our customers Guarantee 1: Missed Appointments PG&E will meet the agreed upon appointment time set with our customer during contact with our Call Center or automatically credit your account $30. The following are circumstances when Guarantee 1 does not apply: When a customer makes a "same day" appointment. When a service person misses the appointment to respond to an immediate emergency. Gas pilot light appointments between September 15 and December 15. Where access to the customer's premise is not available or the customer is not ready for service. During serious emergencies and/or storm conditions. Guarantee 2: Non -Emergency Investigations PG&E will investigate non -emergency situations (check meter) and communicate results to a customer within seven days of a customer's request. Check -meter appointments between October 15 and December 15 of each year will be scheduled within 10 workdays. If an off-site meter test is required, PG&E wilt communicate the results to the customer within 30 days. If access is required to the customer's premises, then an appointment is necessary. Failure to meet the service guarantee will result in a $30 credit to the customers account. An automatic credit to the customers account would apply only if PG&E misses a scheduled appointment date. If the appointment is scheduled beyond five workdays, the customer must notify PG&E to receive the credit. If PG&E's records show that such scheduling was at the customer's request, the credit does not apply. The following are circumstances when Guarantee 2 does not apply: Company generated orders. Where access issues exist. When the service person is required to respond to an immediate emergency. During serious emergencies and/or storm conditions. Guarantee 3: Emergency The Emergency Service Guarantee is not currently in effect. Guarantee 4: Complaint Resolution PG&E will decide on a course of action to resolve a complaint and communicate it to the customer within three working days. PG&E will communicate the complaints resolution to the customer within 10 working days, or 30 working days when an off-site meter test is required or an on-site home audit is requested. Failure to meet the service guarantee will result in a $30 credit to the customers account. The following are circumstances when Guarantee 4 does not apply: Applicable only to complaints referred to PG&E from the Consumer Affairs Branch (CAB) of the California Public Utilities Commission When resolution includes a pending outcome, which wilt appear beyond the guarantee period (e.g., a billing adjustment to be reflected on a future bill) When the customer requests additional actions (e.g., re -reading or testing meters, scheduling customer appointments) to resolve the complaint During serious emergencies and/or storm conditions Guarantee 5: New Meter Installations PG&E wit[ meet the agreed upon date for new service meter installations and service turn -ons or automatically credit your account $50. The following are circumstances when Guarantee 5 does not apply: Multiple (10 or more) gas and electric meter sets and service turn -ons for a contractor 17 http://www.pge. com/en/myhom e/custom erservi ce/servi ceguarantees/i ndex.page 1/3 7/1/2015 Service Guarantees Meter installations where a service turn -on had not been requested by the customer When access to the premises is not provided by the customer or the customer's equipment is not ready (for example, work has not been inspected by the city) for the meter installation When a service person misses the appointment due to the need to respond to an immediate emergency During serious emergencies and/or storm conditions. Guarantee 6: Electric Service Disruptions PG&E will respond to customer calls reporting electric service interruptions within four hours by restoring service; or by informing the customer, upon request, when service restoration is expected; or automatically credit your account $30. The following are circumstances when Guarantee 6 does not apply: When access to the area or customer premises is not available When customers choose not to be notified of changes in the time service restoration is expected During serious emergencies and/or storm conditions Guarantee 7: Electric Service Restoration PG&E will restore electric service within 24 hours, unless the cause is absolutely beyond our control, or we witl automatically credit your account $30 for each 24-hour period you are without service. The following are circumstances when Guarantee 7 does not apply: Planned service interruptions When access to the area or customer premises is not available During serious emergencies and/or storm conditions Guarantee 8: Commencing Bills PG&E wilt issue an accurate commencing bill to a new customer account within 60 days of service initiation, or we will. automatically credit your account $30. The following are circumstances when Guarantee 8 does not apply: Re-establishment of service following a shut-off for non-payment When access to the area or customer premises is not available on the date requested When the customer fails to request service in a timely fashion, but only after occupying a new residence, creating a retroactive bill Cases of mail theft or a clear failure on the part of the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the first bill in a timely manner. PG&E must have documentation that notice was sent in a timely manner When the customer provides inaccurate information at the time of requesting service initiation Any major catastrophic event causing a disruption in transportation or communication within PG&E's service territory. For example, an event on the order of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake or the 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm, which prevents PG&E from either obtaining customer meter data in a timely fashion, or producing and/or delivering bills Guarantee 9: Planned Interruptions PG&E shall provide at least three days notice of a planned interruption in service. Failure to meet the service guarantee will result in a $30 credit to the customers account. This guarantee will require a customer call and PG&E investigation to determine if PG&E's commitment to notify customers 72 hours in advance of planned interruptions was missed. Customers notified of planned service interruptions 72 hours in advance may have their service interrupted on multiple occasions on the date(s). The following are circumstances when Guarantee 9 does not apply: If the planned interruption is canceled due to other commitments and emergencies Customer supplies incorrect phone number, mailing address or if there is no access to the customer's premises Service agreement is not established in PG&E's customer information system If notification was made to customer of record but the customer failed to notify tenants If customer agrees to a shutdown without three day's notice (PG&E will document the date and time of such discussion.) The Unites States Postal Service failed to deliver notification in a timely manner, and PG&E has documentation that notice was sent timely (Sundays and holidays are excluded for the purposes of United States Postal Service mail notifications.) Emergency interruptions (for example, equipment failure, imminent equipment failure, high/low voltage conditions, overload conditions, removing hazards from PG&E facilities, conditions that may affect public/employee safety, burned cross arms/poles, car -pole accidents, downed wire, etc.) During serious emergencies and/or storm conditions • http://www.pge.com/en/m yhom e/custom erservi ce/servi ceguarantees/i ndex.page 2/3 7/1/20115 Service Guarantees Guarantee 10: Service Termination in Error Impacted customers will be eligible for a $100 credit adjustment if PG&E terminates service in error. The following scenarios are eligible for Guarantee 10 — Service Termination in Error: Service interruptions due to an error in PG&E's bitting or meter reading processes when a customer has established service with PG&E or has taken all necessary steps to establish service with PG&E Service interruptions due to non-payment of energy bills that occur after 8 a.m., where a customer made sufficient payment or a payment arrangement the previous day The following are circumstances when Guarantee 10 does not apply: Service interruptions to assure customer safety Service interruptions due to catastrophic events Service interruptions that last less than 1 hour Service interruptions to repair or replace PG&E gas and/or electric facilities Service interruptions to diagnose the possibility of switched gas and/or electric meters Service interruptions due to a customer denying PG&E access to service PG&E facilities, including gas and/or electric meters Service interruptions that occur after 8 a.m. on the same day as payment, when a customer is subject to a service disconnect due to non-payment of an energy bill Service interruptions when PG&E has no record of a customer at the service address PLEASE NOTE: These s mce guarantees have been adopted by the California Public Unlitms Commission. If you have more questions, view the FAQ page. Money -Back An Energy Solutions for - Evolution 7, Pre -K-12 Schools See a gi eener G'!-'1 future with ,n...», Smart Grid Incentives for Installing Solar Equipment --)Learn more Find them here Careers Privacy Accessibility Contact Us Newsroom Regulation © Pacific Gas & Electric Company 19 hftp://www.pge.com/en/myhome/customerservice/serviceguarantees/index.page 3/3