Park Slope residents say Con Ed won't honor claims for food spoiled after extended power outages
Residents in Park Slope and Boerum Hill, among the hardest‑hit neighborhoods, were told they could apply for up to $850 through a Con Ed claims program.
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Some Con Edison customers in Brooklyn say Con Ed is rejecting their requests for reimbursement after January’s prolonged power outages left them with spoiled food and medicine.
Residents in Park Slope and Boerum Hill, among the hardest‑hit neighborhoods, were told they could apply for up to $850 through a Con Ed claims program. But many who submitted forms later received an email saying their claims would not be honored because the outages were caused by road salt, which the utility said was outside its control.
Rami, a resident of Warren Street, said he and his partner were stunned when they learned their claim was denied.
“We were both just flabbergasted,” he said. “They have this program in place, and now they’re claiming they won’t cover it. Weeks later, almost four weeks now, to not pay, it’s definitely a betrayal.”
He says given how often road salt causes power outages, the utility may as well not have this program if it will not honor claims caused by those conditions.
"What would this even cover then? Because this is the bare minimum. We had to get a hotel to keep us and the pets safe, to not even this, I just don't understand," he said.
City Council Member Shahana Hanif had urged constituents to apply for the reimbursement program.
She told News 12 she is now pressing Con Ed for answers and pushing the utility to reconsider the denied claims, adding that other buildings that experienced outages in the area, did have their claims processed.
