WILDWOOD – Looking back on the blackout that spanned a recent weekend in the Wildwoods, North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello said Atlantic City Electric (ACE) made a monumental effort to restore power to the island in 30 hours.
However, certain customers have expressed concern on social media about appliances and devices being ruined by the power surge when power was restored.
Commenters described household items, from cable boxes to air conditioning units, being burned out. Several people also said they lost food during the power outage and were intending to put in a claim with ACE.
Frank Tedesco, a spokesman with Pepco Holdings, the parent company of ACE, said all claims are managed on a case-by-case basis.
He said customers who would like to learn more about the ACE claims process or to secure a claim form can visit ACE’s website.
The electric company, on its site, makes a statement regarding its liability for power outages, concluding with “the company shall not be liable for damages” related to several causes, including “breakdowns of or injury to the machinery.”
Homeowners may have to rely on their own insurance to cover losses.
“Customers may have insurance that covers any losses; for example, businesses may have business interruption coverage, vacationers may have trip insurance, and homeowners may have homeowners’ insurance,” Tedesco said. “Customers should be encouraged to explore these options to try to set off any losses they may have experienced.”
