Buzz
Even if you make an effort to switch off the lights when leaving a room or opt for the most basic internet plan, it’s clear that these recurring monthly charges can be frustrating. You pay a hefty sum for your services, and when they fail to meet your expectations, you’re left (quite literally) in the dark, questioning what you’re really paying for.
While we can't completely eliminate your electricity, internet, and cable bills, there’s still hope. If your service hasn’t met your reasonable expectations, you could be eligible for a service credit to ease the burden on your next bill.
Understand your provider’s policy on outages
Your electricity or service provider may have its reimbursement policy outlined clearly on their website. If you can't find it, you may need to contact them directly to inquire about getting a credit on your next bill.
While you're sorting that out, make sure to keep a record of how long your service has been interrupted. In some situations, the duration of the outage can be crucial in securing a billing credit.
Here are some examples of programs that offer compensation to customers:
PG&E—the one in California—offers a service guarantee program that credits your bill $25 for every 24-hour period you're without power after the first day. This is separate from the Storm Inconvenience Payments, which range from $25 to $100, depending on how long the emergency outage lasts.
DTE Energy in the Detroit area lets you apply online for a $25 credit if you experience one of the following: An outage lasting more than 120 hours under 'catastrophic conditions'; an outage lasting more than 16 hours (no catastrophe needed); or eight or more outages within a 12-month period.
The city of Seattle has established a Cable Customer Bill of Rights that mandates the cable provider offer free service for the day a customer reports an outage lasting over an hour, and for each additional day. The Bill of Rights also specifies required credits (typically $20) for missed or canceled service appointments or planned outages with insufficient notice.
If your provider lacks one of these clear and straightforward programs, you can always reach out during or after an outage to inquire if any compensation is available for the service disruption.
Consider using a negotiation service
Prefer not to contact your electric, cable, or internet company? You're not alone. Fortunately, there are apps that can assist with that.
The financial management app Truebill provides outage monitoring for its users. While the company keeps its process under wraps, it can reportedly detect when your internet or electricity service goes down. “It registers in Truebill’s system and triggers a call to the provider to secure a lower rate since [the customer] wasn’t receiving service during that time,” a representative for Truebill explained via email. No minimum downtime is required.
Truebill earns by taking 40 percent of the amount they help you save through negotiating your bills.
If you experience frequent outages, you might have leverage to negotiate a better rate with your provider. Truebill offers a general bill negotiation service, and a similar service, Trim, also negotiates savings. If Trim successfully secures savings, they charge you 33 percent of your annual savings.
Consider using your insurance as a backup
If a power outage causes your refrigerator to stop working, you may be able to claim compensation for the food that spoiled. If you live in an area prone to outages, review your renters or homeowners policy ahead of time. Some policies cover food loss if only your home is affected, while others require a larger-scale outage to qualify for reimbursement.
Keep in mind that you'll have to pay a deductible out of pocket before receiving any reimbursement. Filing a claim may not be worth it unless you lost a month’s worth of meal prep in the freezer.
