DUKE ENERGY DIDN’T LOCK THE BARN

Our city has just experienced a massive power outage cause by a major storm. Many folks were without power for a week. Obviously, no electric company can prevent storms and falling trees. However, there are ways to mitigate the potential damage caused by the forces of nature. Homeowners should be held responsible for trimming tree limbs that are in contact with electrical wires. This does not happen in our city. However, now that the crisis is over, Duke has trucks out frantically trimming trees in public and suburban areas. Conventional wisdom calls for locking the barn before the horse is gone. But it looks like Duke Energy didn’t lock the barn in time.

At our house , our electrical power line radiates from a pole in the yard of the next door neighbor. Those electrical wires are intertwined with the leaves and branches of numerous trees on his property. Several years ago, I notified the electrical company that this dangerous situation existed. Weeks later, they sent out a truck to see what I was talking about. The electrician drove into our driveway, stepped out and briefly glanced at the wires in the trees next door, then drove away. When I called several weeks later to ask what they were planning to do about it, they rudely replied, “we don’t trim trees and we can’t ask a homeowner to trim his tree.”

When I called the city engineer, I hit the same brick wall. He said, ‘the electric company is a private entity, over which the city has no control.”

In the case of our recent power outage, the company spokesperson explained to our local newspaper that prolonged power outages occurred in suburban neighborhoods away from the main power lines. Meaning that homeowners in those leafy neighborhoods had not been advised or required to trim their trees and bushes resting on power lines, even though they represented a disaster waiting to happen..

So what I’m hearing is that no one controls the electric utility company service in our city. They can do what they please, and get away with it. Which begs the question: Who is responsible for removing trees touching power lines?

According to the National Electrical Safety Code”, it is the responsibility of electric utility companies to trim trees touching power lines. Although, if the tree is on residential property, the homeowner has to assume the costs of trimming trees around power lines. Electric utility companies should conduct such maintenance during their yearly rounds (every 6 to 12 months). However, if the tree is touching a power line, the homeowner is responsible for its removal.”

Last week, Duke Energy and the City both paid the price for neglecting their responsibility of keeping power lines from touching tree limbs. . Actually, the people who really paid the price were the citizens who threw out rotted food, couldn’t shower or cook , turn on air conditioning or charge their cell phones.

It’s time for Duke Energy to start locking the barn before the horse gets stolen, not after. If they can’t handle that responsibility, the city needs a contract with a new electric utility company.

November 1, 2021November 1, 2021

BEWARE OF ONLINE BANKING PITFALLS

There’s nothing new about online banking. Most everyone has been payIng their bills online for decades—except me. First, because it seemed a little too complicated to set things up, and second, because I didn’t trust the procedure. Turns out those were both valid concerns. However, when my daughter asked me to wire birthday money to keep checks from getting lost, I got dragged into online banking, kicking and screaming. It went fairly smoothly for a few months. In fact, it was great not having to write checks, lick stamps, and run to the post office. But it turns out your money can get lost in cyberspace. Beware of online banking pitfalls.

Things got a little complicated because I have a small rental property. The agreement with the electric company is that when a tenant moves out, the bill goes back into my name until a new tenant moves in and puts the electricity in their own name. . this arrangement has worked smoothly for decades.

This summer, I had to do a lot of redecorating, so the apartment was empty for several months. When I received the electric bills, I utilized the bill pay function of online banking. It was so easy, and I paid that way for three months. My bank statement showed I had made the payments. However, I recently got a notice that I hadn’t paid the bill for months. When I called Customer Service, I was informed that the payments that showed on my bank statement had never been received by the electric company.. They advised me to check with my bank as to what had happened, and fax them proof of payment from the bank.

My brick and mortar bank advertises itself as “one of the best banks in America.” At the front desk, a young woman sat beside a computer screen and asked if she could help me. I showed her the bill, and she found a record of my payments deducted from the balance on my checking account. She faxed the information to the electric company, and I assumed that would take care of the matter. It didn’t. When I called them back, it took me several minutes to be connected to the “Misapplied Payments Department” They said they still had no record of receiving online payments. They told me to be patient—that because of Covid they were short staffed, and it might take a couple of days to get back to me.

Fast forward to a week later. Still hadn’t heard back. Finally got in touch with someone at electric company who advised me to go back to the bank and find the electronic transfer numbers on the payments. Young woman at bank said it wasn’t possible. Said there was nothing more the bank could do, except fax the same information again. “It’s between you and them,” she told me. “We don’t find lost payments.” Then she turned her back and started working at her computer. “You mean, “ I’ve simply lost that money?” I asked. She didn’t’ answer. “I want my money back,” I said. She didn’t look up.

Got online, and found that it is the bank’s responsibility to find lost payments. Called someone higher up at the bank, and she agreed . They’re “working on it” right now.

Would I have been treated differently by the woman at the front desk of that bank if I were a young businessman rather than a female octogenarian? Was this a sign of ageism in banking?

Beware of online banking pitfalls..

August 12, 2020August 12, 2020

LESSONS LEARNED FROM DERECHO

Derecho storm 2020 swept through our city on Monday night, downing trees and wreaking havoc with electric power lines. Some neighborhoods have more trees than others, so power outages are sporadic. We live on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by great big old trees. Usually a blessing, but not during this latest wind/rain storm that barreled across the Midwest at 90 miles per hour. We got through an 18 hour power outage, but as octogenarians, it was tough. Here are the lessons learned from Derecho.

Morning coffee is a necessity. But if the power’s off, you’re not going to have any. Unless, of course, you are a camper or someone who has the foresight to have a battery operated coffee maker. We don’t do any camping these days, so we were out of luck.

Lessons learned from Derecho. Have battery operated devices. — Lessons learned from Derecho. Remember the Scout motto: Be Prepared!

Learn how to open garage door by hand. Years ago, we sold a vintage Volkswagen convertible and spent the proceeds on an electric garage door. There’s just one problem. It doesn’t work in a power outage. We were told at the time how to open the door manually, but we forgot. Consequently, we weren’t able to get to our car to go searching for someplace selling coffee until after we could get in touch with the garage door company. This is after 10 o‘clock. Hey, there’s a little hand pull that unlocks the door. Then you push it up by hand, folks. Simple? Yes. How could we have been so dumb? By that time, we’d made an emergency call to our son who went scouting around the city and found us some coffee at a McDonalds. That’s pretty good coffee, by the way.

You may need some sleep aids. The power went off at 6:30 p.m. No TV, no internet. Fortunately, we had several flashlights and candles to light our path. We drank wine, ate some gifted chocolate candy, and talked for hours. I can’t remember much of our conversation. I guess we solved all the problems of the world.

By this time, we’re wired. Still waiting for power. Finally decided to go to bed and sleep though the whole thing. That didn’t work. We’re both waking every hour, wondering if /or when the power is going back on. Our next door neighbors said they had the same experience. Looking back, I think I would have taken a Benadryl or whatever you keep in your medicine cabinet to help you get to sleep when you’re upset.

Heating/cooling system stops working. In our case, it had been 90 degrees outside. After the storm, we opened the windows, but the house was still hot and stuffy. We got to wondering about a winter power outage. We have an all electric home. This power outage lasted 18 hours, but at least we were warm. What if it happens again in January? Again, we need some camping equipment. We’re going to buy some camping heaters ASAP, before we forget what it’s like when the power goes out. Might even invest in a coffee maker.

Ditch the damned diet. It’s hard to eat healthy at a time like this. You don’t want to keep opening and closing the refrigerator and freezer doors. Can’t make smoothies because the blender doesn’t work. No soup, because you can’t heat it. Grab some peanut butter and crackers. Cheese. Junk food, if you have it stashed in the cupboard. Maybe some chocolate bars. No restaurants for us during this pandemic. So, it’s drive-through hamburgers and French fries for dinner. Don’t weigh yourself when it’s over.

Remember the boy scout motto before the next Derecho: Be prepared!