VERONA, Pa. — A single, full-time working mom of two little boys says she’s out thousands of dollars after a power surge fried several of her major appliances, including her furnace.
Danielle Crawford says this happened after Duquesne Light Company restored power following severe storms in March.
“I shouldn’t have to pay for something that’s completely out of my control,” Crawford said.
She says that’s exactly what is happening. She’s looking at a $1,500 homeowner’s insurance deductible.
She says when power was restored to Riverview Drive and neighboring streets in Verona, there was a power surge that fried her furnace, washing machine and garage door opener.
“As the days went on, we found out about 20 of us right around this vicinity have all lost major appliances including a furnace or a whole house,” Crawford added.
She filed a complaint with Duquesne Light, who told her they concluded a tree fell on their equipment and they’re not at fault.
“I’m not sure what tree they’re referring to - much be an invisible tree,” Crawford said. “If you look at that pole, there is not a tree in sight that could have fallen on that.”
We reached out to the power company which said in a statement to Channel 11:
“Duquesne Light Company (DLC) is aware of customer claims and is reviewing the outage restoration in the Verona area following the March 13 windstorm, a significant event that caused widespread damage across DLC’s service territory.”
Crawford wants to see Duquesne Light come out to her neighborhood to investigate. She’s already filed a complaint with the Public Utility Commission.
“Acknowledge they were at fault,” Crawford added. “I’m not looking for a payout. I just want them to do what’s right and take care of their customers.”
For now, DLC is telling affected folks to file claims through their homeowner’s insurance.
Crawford says she also plans to file complaints against DLC with the State Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau.
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