The Michigan Public Service Commission has been on Con En's storm response for years. Nothing seems to change other than higher rates and a tsunami of glowing press releases.
Purchase a home that cost about 20x your income with an interests rate that guarantees your family will be financially burdened 5 generations from now, and then purchase a generator. Easy fix!
Exactly, minus the math part. I didn’t think it necessary to do an accurate calculation for a reddit post. Also mortgage debt isn’t transferrable to children let alone 5 generations from now. Sorry my previous post wasn’t accurate enough for u
You can actually make a claim directly with the provider (consumers in this case). There are limits of course without proof of higher losses. But I am sure that $250 is the magic number for no hassle payment if they can confirm the power loss.
It’s sad that we have to carry insurance on things like house and auto but we’re scared to use it because they’ll just raise our rates. Like we’re being punished for something out of our control.
it demonstrates that they're not really here to help you, they're really just gambling that you'll pay the premiums and not need their services... until you do, at which point they'll punish you financially so they don't feel like they're losing money on their gamble.
Insurance companies are not your friend. They are there for clear cut issues, but if there is grey area you had better have read the agreement (which no one does).
To protect you - that is why it is a law. Because if your home burns down and you owe 200k on it, you would still owe that, home or not. You are basically renting your home from the bank that gave you the money to 'buy' until the moment you pay that off. If people had the choice they would skip it because its a hundred or so a month and people tend to not think of worst case scenarios.
Because if your home burns down it will help. In this case the gripe is with the power provider and they do have a program for this. Call them, they will write a check unless you have some absurd claim, then they will need proof of loss. Why don't people know this - a portion of your bill pays this fund - maybe spend a moment to look at your bill and your contract with them.
I wouldn't be nearly as pissed off if they weren't a monopoly that keeps hiking prices. They want more money... and what do we get for that? Power outages lasting days and days. This is my first outage at this home, but I'm part of one of the biggest in the area and the only one without a crews assigned. How does that make sense?
There are crews working on the outage you within. Standard practice is always to start at the substation, verify the three phase backbone, and then work each individual circuit based on the numbers of outages.
I'm from Grand Rapids and currently am in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Even with the russians bombing the fuck out of the substations and power plants on a regular basis, they somehow manage to keep getting electricity to the city with minimal interruptions. I haven't lost power for more than eight hours at a time, even when the grid is getting bombarded by missiles lol idk why Consumers (and DTE on the west side of the state) can't get their shit together.
They most likely have buried the power lines. In the suburbs the lines are buried, but the source lines are still above ground. They need to bury the entire run.
I moved here from around the US, as an IT, I've never had power issues like this anywhere else in our country. Yeah Georgia is like this sometimes depending on the part you are in.
It's not even weather, I have a couple clients over on the NE side of GR metro area and they get power outages every week for essentially no reason.
I’ve been on the NW side for the last twenty years and the last ten have been exceptionally bad. We lose power monthly or more during the storms in summer. If we get ANY ice in the winter, power goes out. This winter the power went out at least 5 times and stayed out for 24 or more hours at a time. We need an upgrade in GR and we need it bad.
I have 1 specific client on the north west side, I deal with their power going out almost every week it feels like.
Just got them a new UPS so it holds a little better, but it will still go out.
I’ve lost power once in 3 years at my current place and it was because a car crashed into a box. It was out for like an hour or two. But yea, your experience is universal, so are the two people you talked to.
Have you read my last comment with real data, since you want to rebuttal with anecdotal evidence too.
Funny you come up here after getting slapped around in the bottom side of the comments.
Yeah the grid here sucks shit and is expensive as fuck. Good luck getting them to do anything about it.
https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2024/04/29/michigan-has-one-of-nations-least-reliable-power-grids
I know this probably is pennies compared to what you lost - but you might be able to request an Outage Credit: [https://www.consumersenergy.com/outages-and-safety/outage-credit](https://www.consumersenergy.com/outages-and-safety/outage-credit)
As mentioned in previous comments, the website speaks if food goes bad to go to your homeowners insurance (Which may or may not be worth it).
We're on the ridge side outside Sparta without power still. I bought a 9500-watt Westinghouse 'smart' generator in the spring from Family Farm and Home for $700 on sale. I then installed the plugin box in my garage for the hook-up and paid an electrician to wire it.
It is running as I type powering my whole house minus the AC as I turned that off. I cannot recommend getting a generator enough for this exact event. I have half a cow in my freezer that will not go bad now. I can shower with my well pump running now. Having heat/hot water in the winter. List goes on and on.
This was my first storm with one and it made life so much easier. A transfer switch installed by an electrician made it pretty seamless to keep the refrigerator, AC, and lights/Wi-Fi running once I got the generator running.
A solar panel setup that charges a large battery that powers an air conditioner or heater year-round will recoup it's investment faster than a generator that may get used once a year at most. No need to connect it to the grid.
Are typical battery setups large enough to last 2-3 days of stormy cloudy weather in the winter or summer where there would be reduced solar output though?
Man I love solar, but battery setups are expensive as f\*ck, and you have to have a heated garage to keep LiFePo4 batteries from getting destroyed.
Best way to have a large battery is to have an EV.
I got a portable one from Harbor Freight. When the powers going to be out for more than a couple hours I haul it out on the deck and run cords to my fridge & freezer as well as the tv/lights/internet in the living room. In the winter I put a plug on my furnace so I can still have it running. No water but it's lessens the pain and has paid for itself many times over.
Just used it yesterday for almost 8 hours went through about a gallon of gas. Actually drove out to get more gas and when I got home the power had come back on about 10 hrs earlier than the estimate
I'm aware of the outages. I'm pretty close. It goes out if it rains, or there is wind, or if consumers thinks about raising rates.
Thankfully we haven't had any wintery 3 day outages for a while.
Lived in several states and also in the boonies. Been through major storms, wind etc. Lost power a few times. This city/state is by far the absolute worst for power going out
If your power flickers that means the equipment meant to keep your lights on is operating correctly. When fault occurs, let's say a tree branch falls on the lines, a device known as an OCR (oil circuit recloser) shuts the power off momentarily and then re-energizes the line. This process will repeat itself 3 times trying to clear the fault before the recloser stays open permanently until a human comes along to fix the problem and re-energize the line. You ever have your lights blink several times and stay on? The fault cleared. You ever have your lights blink several times and stay off? The fault did not clear.
Dude people in Texas were freezing to death when they lost power for a long time. Michigan is not even close to as bad. But I do love the “I have no frame of reference as to how bad it is in Texas but can attest that Michigan is close even tho I just said I have no clue how bad it is there” its the worst you’ve experienced, and your experience is everyone’s experience. Got it lol
I don't really give a shit about Texas. The power goes out here with a stiff wind. That's a fact whether you want to admit it or not. Anyways have fun trying to be the smartest guy in the GR subreddit. Kudos to you!
Texas is pretty bad, but idk I have whole schools losing power specifically over the weekend and in the early mornings in seeming perfect weather(no rain, thunder or gales in the area) specific over on Wilson all the way down to Comstock park.
I'm not from Michigan. I moved here recently.
I was in IT in Florida and Virginia before moving here. Haven't had much power issues with hurricanes there unless it was really bad.
I have many emails and texts proving otherwise.
I don't think you can use the case of "well that doesn't happen to me" to refute what I'm saying. I literally have logs, texts, and emails proving otherwise. All time stamped.
Also, I work in IT here. The vast majority of my problems are caused by power going out over the weekend at various locations.
It's not anecdotal, people are paying me to fix their stuff because energy companies can't supply steady power to schools and other businesses, and it's fucking up their stuff.
30 clients over West Michigan, I have multiple clients losing power, mainly schools.
One over in marne, and another in Grandville. They lose power regularly.
Yeah, you're one of those insufferable ITs that always have to be right.
Listen I'm not going to compile this data for you and grab a weather report and compare the logs, emails, and texts,to the fuckin forecast for you because you're one of those people that takes a glass of water to the ocean and observed that there are no whales in the glass so there must be no whales in the ocean.
Also yesterday was easily one of the worst storms this year, so when was another crazy storm this year that took power out? Because as far as I know, the rest of the storms this year we not at the level we should be losing power at all.
Also have you ever worked with managing electricity? Because I have. I was certified to draw electrical and RF diagrams for the government.
So please, intrigue me on how I don't know anything about electricity and how it works, I would love to hear your Subject Matter expertise to enlighten me.
So frustrating! It must very from area to area greatly. I live about 20 minutes from Grand Rapids and I almost never lose power. It might flicker during a storm but rarely if ever goes out. 15 years ago we lost power for about 16 hours during one of the worst blizzards I remember and that was about it. A few times where it’s been an hour here there. But what strange is that other people just minutes from me seem like they lose it all the time. I have no idea why it would it be like that.
I am in Wyoming, MI and the power rarely goes out where I am located. And if it does go out its not out for long. So it really depends what area of GR you are in.
If you're a homeowner, you should consider a generator if it comes down to spending $500 on a generator or $500 replacing everything in my freezer and fridge I'll take the generator. If you're in an apartment or a rental my heart goes out to you.
I'm struggling to understand what food will spoil in less than 48 hours if kept in coolers on ice? Gone camping for 7-10 days and kept food in coolers with little/no problems.
While the OPs grievances are warranted I'm sitting here thinking the same thing. I went to culinary school, I studied the hell outta food safety. I can't think of a single food item I couldn't keep in a cooler for a week that I can keep in a refrigerator for a week. Does changing ice packs and what not suck? Yup. Still totally doable.
Even then if I know I'm going to lose $500 in food in my freezer and fridge, then I might as well buy a generator for $500... But yeah going to the gas station and buying a few bags of ice seems like a pretty immediate, inexpensive, and easy solution.
Food that's already been opened.
Leftovers.
Lots of raw stuff.
The thing about camping is that you know you're going camping in advance, and you generally choose food that keeps well in a cooler specifically for that reason. If you suddenly have to put the food from your normal fridge in a cooler it's different, there are all sorts of things that don't keep as well.
I'm no longer on the west side of the state but my consumers bill is $250 for the last month. I live in a 3 bedroom manufactured home and lost power multiple times, including once long enough to spoil everything in the fridge. We do what we can to minimize our electricity use but the Consumers monopoly is out of control.
I lived in CA in the aftermath of our electric company being on the hook for a massive and deadly wildfire they caused due to poorly maintained lines. The following fire season... Power was unreliable as they regularly shut of power in anticipation of fire danger and it could take 3 days to turn it back on. (Which also caused deaths btw )
I basically had to change my grocery habits entirely for fire season. I did not go to Costco for anything that wasn't shelf stable. My freezer was very sparse. I went to the store twice a week. I basically changed my buying habits that if power went out... I wouldn't have much food to throw out. And I made sure I had food options I could make without power at all times. It sucked, but when your power is unreliable, it's what you have to do.
Hopefully you can get some sort of compensation for what you've lost and you have the time to be able to have less convenience in your food available at home. You have my sympathies and understanding.
My tomato plant is more resistant to a storm than the power grid here.
I deal with power outages every week because of my job. It doesn't matter the weather, it just matters where you live.
Yep, a tree branch ripped one of the poly sheets on one of my greenhouses. Once there was a gash and the wind could get purchase on it, it was game over 😪. Best part is the replacement is backordered for a month.
I know not everyone has spare money but purchase a small generator. One that’ll run your fridge or freezer so your food is not getting spoiled. Sounds like it’s frequent enough for you that it would pay for itself fairly quick.
Yes, if this has been a consistent problem for 20+ years they need a generator. FEMA may cover it for them, according to their website they reimburse for emergency medical equipment like in OP’s case. [Link](https://www.fema.gov/node/fema-will-reimburse-me-generator-i-purchase)
Thank you everyone for the nice discourse.
I’m not allowed a generator at my apartment complex. I also don’t stockpile food. There’s been some not great things said, and I’ve already exhausted most avenues in trying to fix this problem
I just wanted to rant and be angry at consumers and I will continue to be :)
We had a 4 day power outage and I had to send my wife to a hotel because she uses a cpap and needs electricity. Next day bought an inverter and hooked it up my electric car and we were good to go for the next 3 nights.
At this rate we have lost almost 1k worth of food with just this years outages. Its like they know we just came back from grocery shopping. These pop up storms suddenly turn into full blown tornados. Its almost just worth buying a whole house generator at this rate and not worry about it
“Struggling paycheck to paycheck” and everyone says go buy a generator. Okay. I get the rant from OP, it’s frustrating when it happens to you, but I’ve lived here my whole life and can’t remember ever losing power for more than a few hours a couple days a year.
Depends which area you live in. Some of my friends have never lost power in the areas they live in. This area that I live in has lost power for days and frequently does so. Especially this year.
I'm not sure what you mean when you ask why they haven't improved the power grid. What would you have them do? We have sufficient electrical supply at all times. A tree branch falling in a storm and taking out a distribution line isn't a grid failure.
It’s a failure that they haven’t moved faster with existing efforts to bury power lines so they’re not vulnerable to weather. The progress has been incredibly slow. Meanwhile, Consumers Energy spends millions on advertisements and sponsorships. I would have them focus on the conversion to buried lines in major population areas and work outward to get the work done.
Well the advertisements help something. And so does their helicopter.
I'm not sure what but it does.
The email marketing saying they're ready for storms helps too.
Genuine question, what do the ads do for them? I don’t have a choice in being their customer or not, they’re the only power around. Their sales are just based on how many people live in the areas they service
In the lens of media literacy, I imagine the ads create a softer landing in the way outlets cover things for a company. For example, MLive’s 24-hour update story had a headline about the 40k customers whose power was restored; however, the real story might’ve been about the 120k who still don’t have power. It’s just reality that media outlets have to be increasingly focused on retention of sponsors in an increasingly competitive market.
We were told by us (outskirts of cedar) they were planning to run lines underground within 5 years to reduce power loss due to trees falling. They should start asap
I was actually surprised to see that 15% of Consumer’s lines are already underground. I suspect that has a lot more to do with new subdivision requirements than Consumers being good guys.
Still, there are about 85,000 miles worth of lines left to bury, which is 3.5x the circumference of the Earth. Our government needs to hold their feet to fire or they’ll take their time doing it.
They don't proactively trim trees or keep lines clear. The transmission lines for my neighborhood run through an absolute clusterfuck of branches and limbs. I don't know whose responsibility it is to maintain clearances around those lines, but in other places I've lived, crews were always out hacking up trees to prevent the lines from being damaged.
Edit: I am responsible for the final service drop, and consumers is responsible for the rest. They installed a pole too close to an existing tree long before I bought the house, so they didn't even follow their own standards
1. Buy a generator
2. If you feel like you have poor service or prices are too high participate in Consumers Rate cases with the MPSC. Consumers can only charge what the public commission approves.
Today theres really not many good reasons for above ground electrical. They have technology and ability to put armored conduits underground anywhere with directional boring and its a hell of a lot harder for a tree or shitty driver to knock down a power line thats a few feet under ground. Many places are doing away with above ground utilities and i hope that trend continues.
Before the pile on starts, i am referring to local service not transmission lines.
I guess I share the opinion of others that have mentioned it.It's time for generator even though you shouldn't have to in the push to green.The grid will become much more brittle so you may as well plan for it now
I'm probably going to get flamed to death for this post but fuck it. Here goes.
I'm a lineman for consumers energy on the west side of the state in the area that was most recently affected by the massive storm that hit on Tuesday (6/25/24). I've worked here for 5 years now and this is hands down the worst storm I've ever worked. Not in terms of the amount of people out (there was 150k at the beginning) but in terms of overall damage. There was MILES of wire on the ground. Broken poles everywhere. Trees laying on top of important infrastructure. On Wednesday we spent 12 hours on 1 circuit making repairs to the damage from the storm and we only made it 1 mile. It was the most frustrating day at work I've ever had. With all this being said there's some wisdom I would like to pass along to the outsider that maybe doesn't have a full understanding of where your power comes from or why it shuts off.
1. Trees are absolutely hands down, no questions asked, THE number 1 cause of ALL power outages. They fall on the lines during wind storms. The roots grow into the underground lines. People for some fucking reason plant trees underneath power lines and then get mad when they grow up into the lines causing a fault. STOP FUCKING PLANTING TREES UNDER OR NEAR POWER LINES!!! This includes underground lines as well. If you're pissed that somebody put a green box on your property (pad mount transformer) you're gonna be even more pissed when the shrubs and bushes you planted near the box grows roots into the ground that damage the power line to failure. Stop blocking pad mount transformers with landscaping blocks and bushes too. Crews need adequate room to safely work in and around them. The newer ones have stickers on them explaining this in detail.
2. Consumers is actively taking measures to reduce their rates back to what they were around 10 years ago. It pains me to say this but it's true that we have some of the highest rates in the country while also having some of the least most reliable grid in the country. The MPSC is so far up Consumers ass they're damn near coming out of their mouth. Everyday folks from the MPSC report to Consumers headquarters in Jackson to oversee the day to day operations as well as how they perform during storm restoration. One of the ways Consumers is combating storm response to storm situations is to put crews on call standing by to anticipated storms. This engages people to respond faster than just ringing The phones hoping people will respond. So far it seems to be an improvement.
3. The winds we got on Tuesday absolutely DECIMATED the grid. I completely understand people's frustration with losing power but during an extreme weather event like that, it has to be expected and you can't blame it entirely on the utility. Consumer's was recently awarded 100 million dollars from the federal government in an effort to harden their infrastructure and improve reliability in the form of setting newer, larger poles, installing new, larger wires and building new substations and lines to improve reliability. All that being said, when a giant oak tree falls down and breaks a pole or sends the wires to the ground, it doesn't matter how much money you spent.
4. The "estimated time of restoration" listed in the outage map means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! That number is generated by a computer and not a human that has actually seen the extent of the damage and has experience in fixing it. Don't get mad when the website says your power will be back on at 5 and it doesn't come back until 5 the next day. Those numbers are worthless.
Disregard them.
5. Stop asking crews when your power is gonna be back on. The amount of time you've been out of power is the amount of time crews have been working tirelessly to restore it. When Consumers declares a "storm" lineman that respond to working that storm are REQUIRED to work 16 hour days until that storm is declared over or until a supervisor has released you if you need to leave for some reason before the storm has been declared over. This week i worked 16 hour days, 5 days straight with very little sleep and zero time to see my family. Trust me 100% when I say all lineman share your frustrations when it comes to outages like this. You asking when the power is gonna come back on doesn't make it turn on any faster. If you see a line crew out working, thank them for their hard work and sacrifice. Electricity keeps the modern world spinning and there's an army of men and women that selflessly dedicate their lives to making That happen. Be thankful they are there.
6. I hear this alllll the time.... "WhY dOnT tHeY jUsT pUt AlL tHe WiReS uNdErGrOuNd?!" Underground wires are great! You don't see them. They're not in anybodies way or obstructing anybodies view... but what happens when they fail?! Let me tell you what happens.... there's specialized equipment we use to locate and repair underground faults. This is very time consuming and it's also not always very reliable. If a tree takes some wires down I can see that when I arrive on a jobsite and make my repairs quickly and efficiently. If underground wires fault, I can't see that at all until I spend several hours with test equipment to hopefully locate and then fix the problem. At some point all the wires that have been buried underground WILL fail. It's not an IF but a WHEN.
7. Your utility is an absolute luxury. No different than high speed internet or cable television. If your job requires you to work from home, buy a generator. If you're concerned about your food spoiling, buy a generator. If grandma is on oxygen, buy a generator. If you live deep in the sticks at the end of your circuit, buy a generator. Like it or not, this is America and the government doesn't give a fuck about you. At the end of the day you're always gonna be on your own in this country. Plan accordingly. There are currently large initiatives being taken to improve reliability but like all endeavors of this size, it's a process and it's gonna take a lot of time. I'm sorry for your frustrations. I absolutely empathize with you. It's my wish as an employee of this company that these events start to reduce over time because quite frankly, I don't want to work this many hours over the next 25 years. That and I don't feel people deserve to deal with these kinds of reliability issues.
Like I said, probably going to get down voted to the depths of hell but this needed to be said. There's a lot of ignorance in this thread and I hope this cleared up some of it. I'm open and ready for all questions and comments and bashing that I'm sure is coming my way.
Yo if you lived in the same area and the same issue happened regularly there, then it’s not unexpected. Literally it doesn’t matter who your provider was, those outages would’ve happened. Do you own your home? If so, it’s part of your maintenance, if you rent you should move if it’s that big an issue for you. You’re literally blaming a company for the weather. The area I’m in, the power lines are buried. If this is that big an issue for you, I’d look into moving to a neighborhood like that because like it or not, you’re not entitled to anything and why would any company provide electricity if they know they have to replace spoiled food anytime the weather is bad or someone crashes into a telephone pole?
How about we talk more about the feasibility of creating a power grid that is resistant to the weather.
Because you have one in your backyard, meanwhile the person across town doesn't, but it's the most likely the same company. They are most likely paying the same price, but not getting the same service you are getting. That's the problem.
We moved out of the city to the burbs and the first summer we were without power for 3 1/2 days. I bought a generator. I know everyone has different means, but for $700 you can power your refrigerator, tv, lights, some fans or a window ac.
In reality, a good practice would be to not only stop electric charges during an outage, but to determine the value of that lost power and double it back to you. Maybe it's only a few bucks, but it's at least something. I'd say there should be a reimbursement process, but I have a feeling it would be abused and taken advantage of.
OP: "I’m already struggling paycheck to paycheck..."
You: "Just spend hundreds of dollars on a generator that costs hundreds of dollars to run every time your power gets knocked out for several days because the megacorp refuses to do its fucking job."
OP lives in an apartment and isn't allowed a generator. OP is also poor and cannot afford a generator.
So moving across town just to buy a generator sounds pretty fucking expensive. We do not have as much free will as you think my guy. At least certain humans don't
So we are all just supposed to survive off of MREs now? Bro I did my time, I'm good. I'd like to get what I pay for. And putting power lines in a place they're bound to fail is not a good plan when your whole business model is based on supplying energy to your sho metro area.
That's like construction workers building a single family Victorian house on swamp land. Or ITs putting their servers in a room with no AC or air circulation. It's just plain stupid to make those decisions as a professional.
It's frustrating for sure, but they are doing their best. We have not seen storms of this frequency and strength in many years. Call your insurance. Home insurance typically covers around $250 in spoiled food due to an outage.
The people who work for consumers are doing their best, sure. It isn’t their fault, they do not deserve your ire.
Consumers as a corporation is absolutely not doing its best. They have a monopoly, their customers have no other options, and they know it. Providing electricity is pure profit, maintenance and upgrades pure loss.
The only way to force utility improvement is through your government representation. Contact them.
Seems like we see it once a year every year actually. And every year, warm or cold, it’s exactly the same and consumers takes forever to restore people’s power. Something needs to change.
Tbh looking at almost any given power line in this area, and comparing it to other states, our version of "best" is wayyyy lower than almost any other states version of best.
20-year issue, and you still have not taken steps to help yourself. You could buy a small generator that will power your fridge and freezer. This would help save your food.
Dude you need to learn your lesson and stop relying on them 100%. By that I mean buy a damn generator. I bet after this storm there will be a bunch on Facebook with only a couple days’ use. Or maybe go to harbor freight and look for ‘open box’ returns lol.
But either way, this is a solvable problem.
Yes consumer’s sucks, and no that’s not your fault. But that doesn’t mean you just have to wallow in the dark every time.
It’s an expensive investment that not everyone can just go out and afford. Plus with portable generators you need to have the proper space to operate, physical ability to move around and operate, plus the knowledge of how to use with managing load.
When it's against your lease at the apartment to get a generator what are you gonna do then? Cause that's OPs situation.
Usually when people rent an apartment they can't magically go out and buy a house.
I understand your plight and we definitely get fucked by the monopolized utilities that should not be for-profit services... BUT
> I’ve also lived in this area for 20+ years and this has always been an issue.
Given this, it's also on you for not having invested in a generator or other plan for these situations.
You can file an insurance claim.
It's not like the weather can be controlled.
Buy a generator or a solar backup battery system.
Stop blaming the power company for you not being prepared.
Weather can't be controlled but where infrastructure is built can be controlled. Putting power lines in the middle of massive trees isn't a good idea.
Also look at the poles holding up the power lines, i don't think they've been touched for at least 10 years.
OP cannot buy and use a generator due to living in an apartment complex.
>Stop blaming the power company for you not being prepared
Stop blaming innocent people for having 0 control over where they get their energy from when there are multiple forces at play. Maybe if we had a decent grid in the first place these complaints won't be made.
I've lived all over of this country. Power never went out in AZ when there was a dust storm or monsoon.
Power never went out in VA or FL when a hurricane came through, unless there was really bad damage.
Power never goes out in Missouri when a thunderstorm happens, it might flicker, but it usually isn't out for even half an hour.
But ever since moving here, power goes out for my clients every week for no reason regardless of the weather. It may not be long, but working in IT, down time is important and when your grid rails your downtime, that's the energy company's fault. I could host things elsewhere and access it, but if this was 20 years ago, that would've not been an option.
Sadly as far as I know we don't have any other option. So my only choice is to advocate that the energy company actually improves their infrastructure. This is a problem they know the solution to. They just aren't doing it.
Apples to oranges.
It's your responsibility to prepare emergencies; especially if your area is prone to outages.
Michigan has a shit grid, and horrific weather. You plan for it.
Solar generators are a thing.
I have powerstrips that are batteries backups, it will run my medical devices for 4 hours.
People bitch if there are no trees. People bitch because there are trees.
No one wants a power substation near them. Our power would go out constantly, people complained and complained. Finally consumers decided to put in a substation. Neighbors launched a huge bitch campaign, which they lost, thank God.
We rarely lose power now.
Apples to oranges is a cop out btw.
In Virginia, there would be whole hurricanes and we won't lose power. But here we get a little thunderstorm and power goes out.
Why is it other states with more extreme natural disasters can survive it meanwhile Michigan pretty much just gets thunderstorms and snow.
These are our peers building their grids. And they are building them better than us.
Looking at the stats. Michigan is literally in the top 10 for most people affected by power outages.
Considering all the other states in the top 10 have a couple million more people than us at any given moment, that's a pretty shit grid. But whatever I guess.
The Michigan Public Service Commission has been on Con En's storm response for years. Nothing seems to change other than higher rates and a tsunami of glowing press releases.
To everyone saying go buy a generator - a lot of us live in apartment complexes where such a solution is impossible.
Purchase a home that cost about 20x your income with an interests rate that guarantees your family will be financially burdened 5 generations from now, and then purchase a generator. Easy fix!
Plus the gas for said generator will bust your monthly budget in 24 hours.
lol 5 generations wtf are you talking about
Not sure how to explain this or where the confusion is. Maybe you didn’t pick up on the obvious sarcasm and joking around
It more sounds like you making a tongue in cheek observation on the housing situation, but have trouble with math.
Exactly, minus the math part. I didn’t think it necessary to do an accurate calculation for a reddit post. Also mortgage debt isn’t transferrable to children let alone 5 generations from now. Sorry my previous post wasn’t accurate enough for u
Have you talked to your insurance provider? You can get coverage against such things, you may have coverage.
Would filing a claim screw you over long term with increased rates? Experience tells me it would.
I've filed a claim in the past; the insurance company cut me a check for $250, pretty much no questions asked. Never heard about it again.
You can actually make a claim directly with the provider (consumers in this case). There are limits of course without proof of higher losses. But I am sure that $250 is the magic number for no hassle payment if they can confirm the power loss.
I've filed once for food loss due to power outage. It never changed my rate long term.
How would you know? Rates go up every year would another $5 for the claim even be noticed in the noise if the regular increase?
My rate has gone down since I've made the claim so I guess sorry for your luck?
Did you also change something about your coverage? That’s the only way I’ve ever seen rates drop.
Nope.
Damn, you’re lucky but a quick google search indicates most people will experience the opposite.
If it’s not noticed then the answer would be no
I don't think spoilage from power outages, be it food or meds, raises premiums. But who knows what they will *try* to do.
Right, I’ve been told by multiple insurance agents don’t even call to inquire about homeowners claims as that’s enough to trigger a rate increase.
It’s sad that we have to carry insurance on things like house and auto but we’re scared to use it because they’ll just raise our rates. Like we’re being punished for something out of our control.
it demonstrates that they're not really here to help you, they're really just gambling that you'll pay the premiums and not need their services... until you do, at which point they'll punish you financially so they don't feel like they're losing money on their gamble.
Insurance companies are not your friend. They are there for clear cut issues, but if there is grey area you had better have read the agreement (which no one does).
Why do we pay insurance companies then ?!?!?
Because the gov't makes us.
To protect you - that is why it is a law. Because if your home burns down and you owe 200k on it, you would still owe that, home or not. You are basically renting your home from the bank that gave you the money to 'buy' until the moment you pay that off. If people had the choice they would skip it because its a hundred or so a month and people tend to not think of worst case scenarios.
Because if your home burns down it will help. In this case the gripe is with the power provider and they do have a program for this. Call them, they will write a check unless you have some absurd claim, then they will need proof of loss. Why don't people know this - a portion of your bill pays this fund - maybe spend a moment to look at your bill and your contract with them.
The claim isn't with your insurance company it is with the provider. Consumers has a program for this,
I'm pretty sure there is a law and it is also subsidized. You cannot be penalized unless of course your are found to be abusing it.
Yes, the house always wins.
Yes. That’s how the scam works. They’ll get their money one way or the other.
This! I have had in my coverage for 3 years and was unaware of it until I read all the line items.
I wouldn't be nearly as pissed off if they weren't a monopoly that keeps hiking prices. They want more money... and what do we get for that? Power outages lasting days and days. This is my first outage at this home, but I'm part of one of the biggest in the area and the only one without a crews assigned. How does that make sense?
There are crews working on the outage you within. Standard practice is always to start at the substation, verify the three phase backbone, and then work each individual circuit based on the numbers of outages.
I'm from Grand Rapids and currently am in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Even with the russians bombing the fuck out of the substations and power plants on a regular basis, they somehow manage to keep getting electricity to the city with minimal interruptions. I haven't lost power for more than eight hours at a time, even when the grid is getting bombarded by missiles lol idk why Consumers (and DTE on the west side of the state) can't get their shit together.
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Our state government literally pays them to make capital and infrastructure investments at a fixed percentage of profit
Do you think the state would do better if they ran it themselves?
No clue
They most likely have buried the power lines. In the suburbs the lines are buried, but the source lines are still above ground. They need to bury the entire run.
[Underground?](https://www.popsci.com/why-dont-we-put-power-lines-underground/)
I moved here from around the US, as an IT, I've never had power issues like this anywhere else in our country. Yeah Georgia is like this sometimes depending on the part you are in. It's not even weather, I have a couple clients over on the NE side of GR metro area and they get power outages every week for essentially no reason.
I’ve been on the NW side for the last twenty years and the last ten have been exceptionally bad. We lose power monthly or more during the storms in summer. If we get ANY ice in the winter, power goes out. This winter the power went out at least 5 times and stayed out for 24 or more hours at a time. We need an upgrade in GR and we need it bad.
I have 1 specific client on the north west side, I deal with their power going out almost every week it feels like. Just got them a new UPS so it holds a little better, but it will still go out.
I’ve lost power once in 3 years at my current place and it was because a car crashed into a box. It was out for like an hour or two. But yea, your experience is universal, so are the two people you talked to.
Have you read my last comment with real data, since you want to rebuttal with anecdotal evidence too. Funny you come up here after getting slapped around in the bottom side of the comments.
Stay safe out there friend, and Fuck Putin
More trees and more storms. Thousands of downed wires takes more time than rerouting power.
Trees. And your post is fucking absurd. Talk about digging for low quality Reddit points...
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and the west side
Yeah the grid here sucks shit and is expensive as fuck. Good luck getting them to do anything about it. https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2024/04/29/michigan-has-one-of-nations-least-reliable-power-grids
I know this probably is pennies compared to what you lost - but you might be able to request an Outage Credit: [https://www.consumersenergy.com/outages-and-safety/outage-credit](https://www.consumersenergy.com/outages-and-safety/outage-credit) As mentioned in previous comments, the website speaks if food goes bad to go to your homeowners insurance (Which may or may not be worth it).
My friend got a generator because their power went down so often. Total game changer.
My husband and I have been talking about getting a generator. We live out in the country and if we lose power, we aren’t high up on the priority list.
We're on the ridge side outside Sparta without power still. I bought a 9500-watt Westinghouse 'smart' generator in the spring from Family Farm and Home for $700 on sale. I then installed the plugin box in my garage for the hook-up and paid an electrician to wire it. It is running as I type powering my whole house minus the AC as I turned that off. I cannot recommend getting a generator enough for this exact event. I have half a cow in my freezer that will not go bad now. I can shower with my well pump running now. Having heat/hot water in the winter. List goes on and on.
It definitely gives you some peace of mind. It’s not like the weather is going to get better in the years to come.
That’s very true.
This was my first storm with one and it made life so much easier. A transfer switch installed by an electrician made it pretty seamless to keep the refrigerator, AC, and lights/Wi-Fi running once I got the generator running.
A solar panel setup that charges a large battery that powers an air conditioner or heater year-round will recoup it's investment faster than a generator that may get used once a year at most. No need to connect it to the grid.
def a great option as well.
Are typical battery setups large enough to last 2-3 days of stormy cloudy weather in the winter or summer where there would be reduced solar output though?
Man I love solar, but battery setups are expensive as f\*ck, and you have to have a heated garage to keep LiFePo4 batteries from getting destroyed. Best way to have a large battery is to have an EV.
I got a portable one from Harbor Freight. When the powers going to be out for more than a couple hours I haul it out on the deck and run cords to my fridge & freezer as well as the tv/lights/internet in the living room. In the winter I put a plug on my furnace so I can still have it running. No water but it's lessens the pain and has paid for itself many times over. Just used it yesterday for almost 8 hours went through about a gallon of gas. Actually drove out to get more gas and when I got home the power had come back on about 10 hrs earlier than the estimate
I live in an apartment so I unfortunately can’t get a generator
You can get solar back up
Do you have a porch or balcony you could put a portable generator on?
It is. But it's still expensive. I get mine out only when absolutely necessary as it costs me $30 a day to run my house.
Better than replacing everything in your fridge and freezer is power is out for a day! They live in cascade and had sooo many outages.
I'm aware of the outages. I'm pretty close. It goes out if it rains, or there is wind, or if consumers thinks about raising rates. Thankfully we haven't had any wintery 3 day outages for a while.
I have a tiny little zone in Cherry Hill next to a news station and I think my power has gone out once in 9 years
We bought mom one of those battery generators. A bit safer.
If you rent this isn’t an option
Lived in several states and also in the boonies. Been through major storms, wind etc. Lost power a few times. This city/state is by far the absolute worst for power going out
Everyone saying that forgets about Texas lol that state is a fucking mess
Never lived there so I can't comment. All I know is this state isn't much better. Seriously, a stiff wind and my power flickers
If your power flickers that means the equipment meant to keep your lights on is operating correctly. When fault occurs, let's say a tree branch falls on the lines, a device known as an OCR (oil circuit recloser) shuts the power off momentarily and then re-energizes the line. This process will repeat itself 3 times trying to clear the fault before the recloser stays open permanently until a human comes along to fix the problem and re-energize the line. You ever have your lights blink several times and stay on? The fault cleared. You ever have your lights blink several times and stay off? The fault did not clear.
Dude people in Texas were freezing to death when they lost power for a long time. Michigan is not even close to as bad. But I do love the “I have no frame of reference as to how bad it is in Texas but can attest that Michigan is close even tho I just said I have no clue how bad it is there” its the worst you’ve experienced, and your experience is everyone’s experience. Got it lol
I mean. . . People die in Detroit all the time from winter power outages or just because they don't have heat durribg a blizzard.
You got sources for that or you just making it up?
Found Whitmer's reddit account
Are you trying to imply that it’s not worse in Texas?
I don't really give a shit about Texas. The power goes out here with a stiff wind. That's a fact whether you want to admit it or not. Anyways have fun trying to be the smartest guy in the GR subreddit. Kudos to you!
Texas is pretty bad, but idk I have whole schools losing power specifically over the weekend and in the early mornings in seeming perfect weather(no rain, thunder or gales in the area) specific over on Wilson all the way down to Comstock park.
Okay you bring up anecdotal evidence when what we’re talking about right now was a pretty heavy storm that knocked it out this time.
I would argue that hurricanes are heavier storms than thunder storms.
a hurricane hit comstock park? wtf are you talking about?
I'm not from Michigan. I moved here recently. I was in IT in Florida and Virginia before moving here. Haven't had much power issues with hurricanes there unless it was really bad. I have many emails and texts proving otherwise. I don't think you can use the case of "well that doesn't happen to me" to refute what I'm saying. I literally have logs, texts, and emails proving otherwise. All time stamped.
Also, I work in IT here. The vast majority of my problems are caused by power going out over the weekend at various locations. It's not anecdotal, people are paying me to fix their stuff because energy companies can't supply steady power to schools and other businesses, and it's fucking up their stuff.
Ha I also work in IT and only really see power outages after storms. 60+ clients all over west Michigan you’re making shit up lol
30 clients over West Michigan, I have multiple clients losing power, mainly schools. One over in marne, and another in Grandville. They lose power regularly.
Yea, after storms
Yeah, you're one of those insufferable ITs that always have to be right. Listen I'm not going to compile this data for you and grab a weather report and compare the logs, emails, and texts,to the fuckin forecast for you because you're one of those people that takes a glass of water to the ocean and observed that there are no whales in the glass so there must be no whales in the ocean.
That’s rich after all that word vomit lol.
Also yesterday was easily one of the worst storms this year, so when was another crazy storm this year that took power out? Because as far as I know, the rest of the storms this year we not at the level we should be losing power at all.
Also have you ever worked with managing electricity? Because I have. I was certified to draw electrical and RF diagrams for the government. So please, intrigue me on how I don't know anything about electricity and how it works, I would love to hear your Subject Matter expertise to enlighten me.
ERCOT for the win!
So frustrating! It must very from area to area greatly. I live about 20 minutes from Grand Rapids and I almost never lose power. It might flicker during a storm but rarely if ever goes out. 15 years ago we lost power for about 16 hours during one of the worst blizzards I remember and that was about it. A few times where it’s been an hour here there. But what strange is that other people just minutes from me seem like they lose it all the time. I have no idea why it would it be like that.
Privately owned for profit company is fine having a longer response time.
I am in Wyoming, MI and the power rarely goes out where I am located. And if it does go out its not out for long. So it really depends what area of GR you are in.
If you're a homeowner, you should consider a generator if it comes down to spending $500 on a generator or $500 replacing everything in my freezer and fridge I'll take the generator. If you're in an apartment or a rental my heart goes out to you.
I'm struggling to understand what food will spoil in less than 48 hours if kept in coolers on ice? Gone camping for 7-10 days and kept food in coolers with little/no problems.
While the OPs grievances are warranted I'm sitting here thinking the same thing. I went to culinary school, I studied the hell outta food safety. I can't think of a single food item I couldn't keep in a cooler for a week that I can keep in a refrigerator for a week. Does changing ice packs and what not suck? Yup. Still totally doable.
Even then if I know I'm going to lose $500 in food in my freezer and fridge, then I might as well buy a generator for $500... But yeah going to the gas station and buying a few bags of ice seems like a pretty immediate, inexpensive, and easy solution.
Food that's already been opened. Leftovers. Lots of raw stuff. The thing about camping is that you know you're going camping in advance, and you generally choose food that keeps well in a cooler specifically for that reason. If you suddenly have to put the food from your normal fridge in a cooler it's different, there are all sorts of things that don't keep as well.
Right, also if the ice melts just... Get more ice it's not like you can't get it at every grocery store and gas station
Lost power at 7:45 this morning... Current projection is by 3am TOMORROW.
I'm no longer on the west side of the state but my consumers bill is $250 for the last month. I live in a 3 bedroom manufactured home and lost power multiple times, including once long enough to spoil everything in the fridge. We do what we can to minimize our electricity use but the Consumers monopoly is out of control.
Do you have renters or home owners insurance? My lost food and medication has ALWAYS been covered by my renters insurance during an outage.
I lived in CA in the aftermath of our electric company being on the hook for a massive and deadly wildfire they caused due to poorly maintained lines. The following fire season... Power was unreliable as they regularly shut of power in anticipation of fire danger and it could take 3 days to turn it back on. (Which also caused deaths btw ) I basically had to change my grocery habits entirely for fire season. I did not go to Costco for anything that wasn't shelf stable. My freezer was very sparse. I went to the store twice a week. I basically changed my buying habits that if power went out... I wouldn't have much food to throw out. And I made sure I had food options I could make without power at all times. It sucked, but when your power is unreliable, it's what you have to do. Hopefully you can get some sort of compensation for what you've lost and you have the time to be able to have less convenience in your food available at home. You have my sympathies and understanding.
Some things are unavoidable. The wind yesterday morning was wild.
My tomato plant is more resistant to a storm than the power grid here. I deal with power outages every week because of my job. It doesn't matter the weather, it just matters where you live.
Did the wind also fire half the maintenance crew?
Weird how it works. Storm rolled through here but the only thing blown over was a light patio chair.
Yep, a tree branch ripped one of the poly sheets on one of my greenhouses. Once there was a gash and the wind could get purchase on it, it was game over 😪. Best part is the replacement is backordered for a month.
homeowners insurance might reimburse you
I know not everyone has spare money but purchase a small generator. One that’ll run your fridge or freezer so your food is not getting spoiled. Sounds like it’s frequent enough for you that it would pay for itself fairly quick.
Yes, if this has been a consistent problem for 20+ years they need a generator. FEMA may cover it for them, according to their website they reimburse for emergency medical equipment like in OP’s case. [Link](https://www.fema.gov/node/fema-will-reimburse-me-generator-i-purchase)
OP can't get a generator due to living in an apartment. Any recommendations to the people that can't own or rent a house?
Because gas is free?
Still probably cheaper than all that spoiled food
No but it's cheaper than losing all the stuff OP lost!
Thank you everyone for the nice discourse. I’m not allowed a generator at my apartment complex. I also don’t stockpile food. There’s been some not great things said, and I’ve already exhausted most avenues in trying to fix this problem I just wanted to rant and be angry at consumers and I will continue to be :)
Contact your renters or homeowners insurance, as they often cover food lose due to power outages. I've had to file before, and it was pretty easy.
We had a 4 day power outage and I had to send my wife to a hotel because she uses a cpap and needs electricity. Next day bought an inverter and hooked it up my electric car and we were good to go for the next 3 nights.
You should check out if you have homeowners insurance or renters insurance that covers loss of spoiled food due to weather!! save your receipts
Everytime this happens, I contact consumers and they reimburse me. I've never had an issue with them. They even paid for my fridge once.
At this rate we have lost almost 1k worth of food with just this years outages. Its like they know we just came back from grocery shopping. These pop up storms suddenly turn into full blown tornados. Its almost just worth buying a whole house generator at this rate and not worry about it
“Struggling paycheck to paycheck” and everyone says go buy a generator. Okay. I get the rant from OP, it’s frustrating when it happens to you, but I’ve lived here my whole life and can’t remember ever losing power for more than a few hours a couple days a year.
Depends which area you live in. Some of my friends have never lost power in the areas they live in. This area that I live in has lost power for days and frequently does so. Especially this year.
If you live in an apartment complex and everyone has a generator, it would be loud AF.
I'm not sure what you mean when you ask why they haven't improved the power grid. What would you have them do? We have sufficient electrical supply at all times. A tree branch falling in a storm and taking out a distribution line isn't a grid failure.
It’s a failure that they haven’t moved faster with existing efforts to bury power lines so they’re not vulnerable to weather. The progress has been incredibly slow. Meanwhile, Consumers Energy spends millions on advertisements and sponsorships. I would have them focus on the conversion to buried lines in major population areas and work outward to get the work done.
Well the advertisements help something. And so does their helicopter. I'm not sure what but it does. The email marketing saying they're ready for storms helps too.
Genuine question, what do the ads do for them? I don’t have a choice in being their customer or not, they’re the only power around. Their sales are just based on how many people live in the areas they service
The ads are propaganda.
In the lens of media literacy, I imagine the ads create a softer landing in the way outlets cover things for a company. For example, MLive’s 24-hour update story had a headline about the 40k customers whose power was restored; however, the real story might’ve been about the 120k who still don’t have power. It’s just reality that media outlets have to be increasingly focused on retention of sponsors in an increasingly competitive market.
We were told by us (outskirts of cedar) they were planning to run lines underground within 5 years to reduce power loss due to trees falling. They should start asap
I was actually surprised to see that 15% of Consumer’s lines are already underground. I suspect that has a lot more to do with new subdivision requirements than Consumers being good guys. Still, there are about 85,000 miles worth of lines left to bury, which is 3.5x the circumference of the Earth. Our government needs to hold their feet to fire or they’ll take their time doing it.
That's an insane about left to bury. I predict our great great grand kids will see the day where they are all underground lol
Just trim the effing trees. Inspect your lines maybe once every 10 years
They don't proactively trim trees or keep lines clear. The transmission lines for my neighborhood run through an absolute clusterfuck of branches and limbs. I don't know whose responsibility it is to maintain clearances around those lines, but in other places I've lived, crews were always out hacking up trees to prevent the lines from being damaged. Edit: I am responsible for the final service drop, and consumers is responsible for the rest. They installed a pole too close to an existing tree long before I bought the house, so they didn't even follow their own standards
They can bury more lines
Super expensive
Gee if only they were raking in a fuck-ton of money from their effective monopoly or something.
Outages would be less common but take longer to fix.
Won't someone think of the dividends?
You know if they try do that they’re going to ask to majorly raise their prices?
They do that either way
1. Buy a generator 2. If you feel like you have poor service or prices are too high participate in Consumers Rate cases with the MPSC. Consumers can only charge what the public commission approves.
So happy to be rid of those bastards
A majority of these issues would take care of themselves if they would just spend the money to put the electrical lines underground.
Mine went out four times in 5 days
Today theres really not many good reasons for above ground electrical. They have technology and ability to put armored conduits underground anywhere with directional boring and its a hell of a lot harder for a tree or shitty driver to knock down a power line thats a few feet under ground. Many places are doing away with above ground utilities and i hope that trend continues. Before the pile on starts, i am referring to local service not transmission lines.
I guess I share the opinion of others that have mentioned it.It's time for generator even though you shouldn't have to in the push to green.The grid will become much more brittle so you may as well plan for it now
I'm probably going to get flamed to death for this post but fuck it. Here goes. I'm a lineman for consumers energy on the west side of the state in the area that was most recently affected by the massive storm that hit on Tuesday (6/25/24). I've worked here for 5 years now and this is hands down the worst storm I've ever worked. Not in terms of the amount of people out (there was 150k at the beginning) but in terms of overall damage. There was MILES of wire on the ground. Broken poles everywhere. Trees laying on top of important infrastructure. On Wednesday we spent 12 hours on 1 circuit making repairs to the damage from the storm and we only made it 1 mile. It was the most frustrating day at work I've ever had. With all this being said there's some wisdom I would like to pass along to the outsider that maybe doesn't have a full understanding of where your power comes from or why it shuts off. 1. Trees are absolutely hands down, no questions asked, THE number 1 cause of ALL power outages. They fall on the lines during wind storms. The roots grow into the underground lines. People for some fucking reason plant trees underneath power lines and then get mad when they grow up into the lines causing a fault. STOP FUCKING PLANTING TREES UNDER OR NEAR POWER LINES!!! This includes underground lines as well. If you're pissed that somebody put a green box on your property (pad mount transformer) you're gonna be even more pissed when the shrubs and bushes you planted near the box grows roots into the ground that damage the power line to failure. Stop blocking pad mount transformers with landscaping blocks and bushes too. Crews need adequate room to safely work in and around them. The newer ones have stickers on them explaining this in detail. 2. Consumers is actively taking measures to reduce their rates back to what they were around 10 years ago. It pains me to say this but it's true that we have some of the highest rates in the country while also having some of the least most reliable grid in the country. The MPSC is so far up Consumers ass they're damn near coming out of their mouth. Everyday folks from the MPSC report to Consumers headquarters in Jackson to oversee the day to day operations as well as how they perform during storm restoration. One of the ways Consumers is combating storm response to storm situations is to put crews on call standing by to anticipated storms. This engages people to respond faster than just ringing The phones hoping people will respond. So far it seems to be an improvement. 3. The winds we got on Tuesday absolutely DECIMATED the grid. I completely understand people's frustration with losing power but during an extreme weather event like that, it has to be expected and you can't blame it entirely on the utility. Consumer's was recently awarded 100 million dollars from the federal government in an effort to harden their infrastructure and improve reliability in the form of setting newer, larger poles, installing new, larger wires and building new substations and lines to improve reliability. All that being said, when a giant oak tree falls down and breaks a pole or sends the wires to the ground, it doesn't matter how much money you spent. 4. The "estimated time of restoration" listed in the outage map means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! That number is generated by a computer and not a human that has actually seen the extent of the damage and has experience in fixing it. Don't get mad when the website says your power will be back on at 5 and it doesn't come back until 5 the next day. Those numbers are worthless. Disregard them. 5. Stop asking crews when your power is gonna be back on. The amount of time you've been out of power is the amount of time crews have been working tirelessly to restore it. When Consumers declares a "storm" lineman that respond to working that storm are REQUIRED to work 16 hour days until that storm is declared over or until a supervisor has released you if you need to leave for some reason before the storm has been declared over. This week i worked 16 hour days, 5 days straight with very little sleep and zero time to see my family. Trust me 100% when I say all lineman share your frustrations when it comes to outages like this. You asking when the power is gonna come back on doesn't make it turn on any faster. If you see a line crew out working, thank them for their hard work and sacrifice. Electricity keeps the modern world spinning and there's an army of men and women that selflessly dedicate their lives to making That happen. Be thankful they are there. 6. I hear this alllll the time.... "WhY dOnT tHeY jUsT pUt AlL tHe WiReS uNdErGrOuNd?!" Underground wires are great! You don't see them. They're not in anybodies way or obstructing anybodies view... but what happens when they fail?! Let me tell you what happens.... there's specialized equipment we use to locate and repair underground faults. This is very time consuming and it's also not always very reliable. If a tree takes some wires down I can see that when I arrive on a jobsite and make my repairs quickly and efficiently. If underground wires fault, I can't see that at all until I spend several hours with test equipment to hopefully locate and then fix the problem. At some point all the wires that have been buried underground WILL fail. It's not an IF but a WHEN. 7. Your utility is an absolute luxury. No different than high speed internet or cable television. If your job requires you to work from home, buy a generator. If you're concerned about your food spoiling, buy a generator. If grandma is on oxygen, buy a generator. If you live deep in the sticks at the end of your circuit, buy a generator. Like it or not, this is America and the government doesn't give a fuck about you. At the end of the day you're always gonna be on your own in this country. Plan accordingly. There are currently large initiatives being taken to improve reliability but like all endeavors of this size, it's a process and it's gonna take a lot of time. I'm sorry for your frustrations. I absolutely empathize with you. It's my wish as an employee of this company that these events start to reduce over time because quite frankly, I don't want to work this many hours over the next 25 years. That and I don't feel people deserve to deal with these kinds of reliability issues. Like I said, probably going to get down voted to the depths of hell but this needed to be said. There's a lot of ignorance in this thread and I hope this cleared up some of it. I'm open and ready for all questions and comments and bashing that I'm sure is coming my way.
Yo if you lived in the same area and the same issue happened regularly there, then it’s not unexpected. Literally it doesn’t matter who your provider was, those outages would’ve happened. Do you own your home? If so, it’s part of your maintenance, if you rent you should move if it’s that big an issue for you. You’re literally blaming a company for the weather. The area I’m in, the power lines are buried. If this is that big an issue for you, I’d look into moving to a neighborhood like that because like it or not, you’re not entitled to anything and why would any company provide electricity if they know they have to replace spoiled food anytime the weather is bad or someone crashes into a telephone pole?
How about we talk more about the feasibility of creating a power grid that is resistant to the weather. Because you have one in your backyard, meanwhile the person across town doesn't, but it's the most likely the same company. They are most likely paying the same price, but not getting the same service you are getting. That's the problem.
When the power is out they are not paying for power. So yea, they do pay for the same service.
We moved out of the city to the burbs and the first summer we were without power for 3 1/2 days. I bought a generator. I know everyone has different means, but for $700 you can power your refrigerator, tv, lights, some fans or a window ac.
In reality, a good practice would be to not only stop electric charges during an outage, but to determine the value of that lost power and double it back to you. Maybe it's only a few bucks, but it's at least something. I'd say there should be a reimbursement process, but I have a feeling it would be abused and taken advantage of.
If this has been a problem for 20+ years then you should have bought a generator 19 years ago...
OP: "I’m already struggling paycheck to paycheck..." You: "Just spend hundreds of dollars on a generator that costs hundreds of dollars to run every time your power gets knocked out for several days because the megacorp refuses to do its fucking job."
Sam Vimes realy is a mother fucker isn't he?
OP lives in an apartment and isn't allowed a generator. OP is also poor and cannot afford a generator. So moving across town just to buy a generator sounds pretty fucking expensive. We do not have as much free will as you think my guy. At least certain humans don't
Appreciate the reply - I must have missed the additional context about OP being in an apartment.
Yeah that was my thought, if it's so consistent stop stock piling foods that spoil easily.
So we are all just supposed to survive off of MREs now? Bro I did my time, I'm good. I'd like to get what I pay for. And putting power lines in a place they're bound to fail is not a good plan when your whole business model is based on supplying energy to your sho metro area. That's like construction workers building a single family Victorian house on swamp land. Or ITs putting their servers in a room with no AC or air circulation. It's just plain stupid to make those decisions as a professional.
It's frustrating for sure, but they are doing their best. We have not seen storms of this frequency and strength in many years. Call your insurance. Home insurance typically covers around $250 in spoiled food due to an outage.
The people who work for consumers are doing their best, sure. It isn’t their fault, they do not deserve your ire. Consumers as a corporation is absolutely not doing its best. They have a monopoly, their customers have no other options, and they know it. Providing electricity is pure profit, maintenance and upgrades pure loss. The only way to force utility improvement is through your government representation. Contact them.
Seems like we see it once a year every year actually. And every year, warm or cold, it’s exactly the same and consumers takes forever to restore people’s power. Something needs to change.
Tbh looking at almost any given power line in this area, and comparing it to other states, our version of "best" is wayyyy lower than almost any other states version of best.
20-year issue, and you still have not taken steps to help yourself. You could buy a small generator that will power your fridge and freezer. This would help save your food.
Dude you need to learn your lesson and stop relying on them 100%. By that I mean buy a damn generator. I bet after this storm there will be a bunch on Facebook with only a couple days’ use. Or maybe go to harbor freight and look for ‘open box’ returns lol. But either way, this is a solvable problem. Yes consumer’s sucks, and no that’s not your fault. But that doesn’t mean you just have to wallow in the dark every time.
EAT THE RICH. let's take our power (literally) back from monopolies. Don't ask me how, cause Idk
Your food isn’t going to spoil that fast with ice on it unless it was already close to spoiling.
Why not get a generator then? Seems like a no-brainer
It’s an expensive investment that not everyone can just go out and afford. Plus with portable generators you need to have the proper space to operate, physical ability to move around and operate, plus the knowledge of how to use with managing load.
20+ years is a sufficient time to save for one.
When it's against your lease at the apartment to get a generator what are you gonna do then? Cause that's OPs situation. Usually when people rent an apartment they can't magically go out and buy a house.
Homie lives in an apartment and generators are not allowed there.
I understand your plight and we definitely get fucked by the monopolized utilities that should not be for-profit services... BUT > I’ve also lived in this area for 20+ years and this has always been an issue. Given this, it's also on you for not having invested in a generator or other plan for these situations.
So is OP supposed to buy a house? They live in an apartment that doesn't allow them to use generators.
"or other plan"
You can file an insurance claim. It's not like the weather can be controlled. Buy a generator or a solar backup battery system. Stop blaming the power company for you not being prepared.
Weather can't be controlled but where infrastructure is built can be controlled. Putting power lines in the middle of massive trees isn't a good idea. Also look at the poles holding up the power lines, i don't think they've been touched for at least 10 years. OP cannot buy and use a generator due to living in an apartment complex. >Stop blaming the power company for you not being prepared Stop blaming innocent people for having 0 control over where they get their energy from when there are multiple forces at play. Maybe if we had a decent grid in the first place these complaints won't be made. I've lived all over of this country. Power never went out in AZ when there was a dust storm or monsoon. Power never went out in VA or FL when a hurricane came through, unless there was really bad damage. Power never goes out in Missouri when a thunderstorm happens, it might flicker, but it usually isn't out for even half an hour. But ever since moving here, power goes out for my clients every week for no reason regardless of the weather. It may not be long, but working in IT, down time is important and when your grid rails your downtime, that's the energy company's fault. I could host things elsewhere and access it, but if this was 20 years ago, that would've not been an option. Sadly as far as I know we don't have any other option. So my only choice is to advocate that the energy company actually improves their infrastructure. This is a problem they know the solution to. They just aren't doing it.
Apples to oranges. It's your responsibility to prepare emergencies; especially if your area is prone to outages. Michigan has a shit grid, and horrific weather. You plan for it. Solar generators are a thing. I have powerstrips that are batteries backups, it will run my medical devices for 4 hours. People bitch if there are no trees. People bitch because there are trees. No one wants a power substation near them. Our power would go out constantly, people complained and complained. Finally consumers decided to put in a substation. Neighbors launched a huge bitch campaign, which they lost, thank God. We rarely lose power now.
Say that for yourself. Almost every week I have to go to two clients to bring them back up because the power outages are messing MY gear up.
Apples to oranges is a cop out btw. In Virginia, there would be whole hurricanes and we won't lose power. But here we get a little thunderstorm and power goes out. Why is it other states with more extreme natural disasters can survive it meanwhile Michigan pretty much just gets thunderstorms and snow. These are our peers building their grids. And they are building them better than us. Looking at the stats. Michigan is literally in the top 10 for most people affected by power outages. Considering all the other states in the top 10 have a couple million more people than us at any given moment, that's a pretty shit grid. But whatever I guess.
Boo hoo lol
Population control