When PG&E shuts off power to reduce wildfire risk, customers aren’t charged for electricity they can’t use. But for some residents and business owners, a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) can still come with significant costs.
For Nipomo business owner Janet Rodriguez, last week’s outage meant shutting down The Beauty Bar Studios for two days.
“Theres really nothing that we could do,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said she learned about the outage through Facebook the morning it began and was forced to reschedule clients after losing power Friday and Saturday.
“It’s huge because we don’t have no benefits as far as like calling in sick or things like that,” Rodriguez said. “If we don’t work, we don’t get paid.”
Just around the corner, Stefano’s Sapori D’Italia was also forced to close.
“We lost two days of sales,” owner Jesus Zavala said. “We couldn’t open on Friday or Saturday, and those two days are our busiest days of the week.”
The businesses were among more than 8,000 PG&E customers in San Luis Obispo County affected by the PSPS that the utility implemented due to dry and windy conditions that increased wildfire risk.
According to PG&E, decisions to shut off power are based on real-time wildfire conditions, including wind speeds, humidity levels, fuel moisture and nearby vegetation. When those factors combine to create a significant wildfire threat, the utility says a Public Safety Power Shutoff may be used as a last resort to help prevent its equipment from sparking a fire.
According to PG&E, customers are not charged for electric service during a PSPS outage because electricity is not being delivered. The company says customers who notice charges for electricity during a shutoff should contact customer service.
However, PG&E does not provide bill credits for customers impacted by PSPS events because the outages are conducted for safety reasons.
For some businesses, avoiding product loss meant spending additional money.
“We needed to bring a generator to keep our fridge and freezer working,” Zavala said.
The generator helped preserve ice cream and other perishable food items while the power was out.
PG&E does offer rebates of up to $300 for eligible customers who purchase certain backup generators or battery systems. Additional incentives are available for some lower-income customers. You can click here to find out if you qualify for these rebate programs.
Company officials said PG&E provided two backup generators to critical customers across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties during the outage event. The utility also assisted nearly 800 customers through local Community Resource Centers.