Power shutdown: Do you have to pay PG&E, plus other questions answered – The Mercury News

Bay Area residents have questions galore about the power outages that have affected more than 2 million people over the past few days as thousands of firefighters battle blazes in the region and the state. Here are answers from PG&E, wireless providers and others.

Q: Why are PG&E customers receiving conflicting or inaccurate information about whether they will be affected by outages? PG&E’s website sometimes says one thing about a certain address while the utility’s text alerts say another.

A: The alerts and the online look-up tool rely on the same data, and the utility said it strives to provide accurate information. “In some cases, there may be a timing difference in updates made to the website and text alerts,” said spokesman Paul Doherty on Monday. “We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.”

Q: Will customers who lost power receive a credit on their bills?

A: “Customers will not pay for power they didn’t or couldn’t use during a shutoff,” Doherty said, adding that PG&E also is considering Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request for rebates. (After the first round of shutoffs a couple of weeks ago, Newsom called on PG&E to provide $100 rebates to residential customers and $250 to small businesses.)

Doherty said those affected by the outages will not be eligible for PG&E’s Safety Net program, which automatically reimburses customers in case of severe storms.

Customers who want to submit claims for compensation can look for information on the utility’s website at  www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page .

As of Oct. 21, PG&E had received 450 claims for the Oct. 9 to 12 PSPS (public safety power shutoff), according to a report it submitted to the state’s PUC.

Q: Is water service affected?

A: Some water districts, such as San Jose’s and the East Bay Municipal Utility District, said their pump stations rely on generators during the power shutdowns. EBMUD said Tuesday that it had updated its pressure zone map of areas affected by the current shutdown, where customers may be asked to minimize water use. Other districts are warning residents that if their cities are affected by the outages, they may be unable to pump water or may have access only to water already in storage tanks. Vallejo, which over the weekend declared a water emergency because it was unable to pump water, told residents Monday that it was lifting restrictions on water use.

Q: Why is cell phone coverage spotty or, in some cases, nonexistent?

A: According to the Federal Communications Commission, hundreds of cell towers were out because of the power shutdowns. Those towers lacked battery or generator backups, which are not required. As for the rest of wireless service, the major wireless carriers said they are using generators and trying to keep service disruptions to a minimum.

AT&T is monitoring the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County and will provide credits and waive overages for customers in the area. “We have some damaged equipment from the fire and are working to respond as quickly and safely as conditions allow with additional equipment, including generators from other states,” a spokesman said Monday.

A Verizon spokeswoman said the Kincade Fire had not yet impacted its service but that some customers “will experience service disruption or degradation, due to topographical and other technological constraints that prevent the deployment of backup power or other resources to a particular cell site.”

Sprint said some customers may experience service interruptions even though it has generators up and running. Tuesday, it announced that to help customers affected by the fires in Northern and Southern California, it would provide unlimited talk, text and data access to all customers at no extra cost from Oct. 27 to Nov. 3.

T-Mobile said customers in the Oakland hills, Sebastopol, Lafayette, Orinda and Marin County, plus those along Highway 101 from Healdsburg north to Eureka and along SR20 north of Clear Lake, may have experienced issues Monday. The company also said it is making available service for prepaid customers who run out of balance in areas affected by power shutdowns and fires.

Q: How are residents who need to be evacuated being alerted if they have no power?

A: City, county and fire officials are sending emails, alerts to mobile phones, making phone calls, posting on social media and knocking on doors.

Q: Will we really have power shutdowns for the next 10 years, as PG&E CEO Bill Johnson said at a recent Public and Utilities Commission meeting?

A: The utility did not shed any more light on how long the power shutdowns could last. “We recognize the hardship of not having electric service,” Doherty said. “The sole purpose of these power shutoffs is to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the communities that we serve.”