CLEVELAND — Our recent weather has been up, down, and sideways for weeks now, and we’re just getting underway with the severe weather season. With that in mind, a man living on Cleveland’s East Side said a recent power surge into his home did a ton of damage.
"It was one of the best things I bought from Drug Mart. I’ve had this thing for years,” said Joe Sterle, 71, while pointing to a space heater on the floor of his home.
He told us a power surge took out that, a TV, a DVD player and two newly purchased refrigerators.
"This refrigerator is not even a year-and-a-half old,” he told us while opening up its doors.
He said he also had to borrow about $600 to get his furnace repaired, which was fried, too.
He shared pictures of what he said were crews working on the power lines behind his home around the time of the power surge.
"I’m sure there’s probably more people than me that have probably lost similar items,” he said.
So, Sterle is out quite a bit of money, and that got us thinking about what rights do customers have? And what should you do before and after a surge hits your home?
Kevin Friss is from the Office of Emergency Management in Cuyahoga County. He said whole-house surge protectors can be put in.
We found various prices for them and installation, with a total cost of $200 to $800. Newly built homes and updates to or replacements of electric panels, by law, have to have them.
Also, you can use surge protection plugs, but make sure they’re correctly rated for the appliances.
"A lot of the ones you’ll find at office supply stores are designed for your computer, not something like…a window air conditioning unit,” said Friis.
He told us many homeowner’s insurance plans can cover some of the costs, too. It’s something he’s even used recently. “In the last storm, I had a garage fire due to a telephone pole catching fire from an arcing wire,” said Friis.
If you have damage, you can file a complaint with the power company and with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
Some companies offer surge protection insurance, which the Illuminating Company does have, but not for Ohioans, saying “Ohio state law does not support electric utilities continuing to offer this type of insurance product.”
The company said it’s looking into Sterle’s issues. Sterle told us he hopes they will help him after getting hit with thousands of dollars in damages.
"I’m on a fixed income, retired. I should be enjoying my stuff,” said Sterle. “I had my stuff.”
Meanwhile, Friis said you can use the county’s weather alert program to get info by email, phone or text. Plus, if your home is damaged by a weather-related event, you might qualify for property tax discounts the county offers.
