January 19, 2005
Utility plan includes bill payment waiver for customers whose homes were destroyed, and $5,000 to American Red Cross for emergency shelter and food.
LA CONCHITA, Calif., Jan. 19, 2005–Southern California Edison (SCE) has restored electrical service to this coastal community, more than a week after a killer mudslide devastated the area and knocked electricity, as well as other utility services.
All homes not destroyed or red tagged had electrical service restored by 6 p.m. Tuesday. The mudslide originally knocked out power for about 250 customers in the La Conchita area. Much of the community had been without power since Jan. 10.
“In making repairs, our crews had to deal with unstable terrain, access problems, and damaged equipment,” said Rudy Gonzales, SCE public affairs region manager. “We thank our customers for their patience during this ordeal.”
In another development, SCE announced the creation of a special relief program to cover unbilled electricity usage for residential customers whose homes were destroyed or are uninhabitable due to the mudslide. Those customers will not have to pay for electricity used since the last bill they received at those damaged or destroyed residences.
Qualifying residential customers are encouraged to contact SCE toll free at 1-800-250-7339. For other customers facing financial hardship as a result of the mudslide, SCE offers special payment arrangements. They should contact SCE at 1-800-250-7339.
The company also announced that it has made a $5,000 donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to provide emergency shelter, meals and basic essentials for victims in Ventura County.
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An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of more than 13 million via 4.6 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within central, coastal and Southern California.
