May 8, 2009

ROSEMEAD, Calif., May 8, 2009 — Southern California Edison (SCE) customers whose homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by the recent Jesusita fire in Santa Barbara will not have to pay for electricity used since the last bill they received at those damaged residences. The utility is also offering payment arrangements to those who were indirectly affected by the fire.

 “We extend our sincere sympathy to those who have been displaced by the fire, and we want to help in any way we can,” said Linda Yamauchi, manager of SCE’s Consumer Affairs department. “Anyone who needs our help should call us as soon as they are able.”

Customers who qualify for bill forgiveness are encouraged to contact SCE toll free at (800) 250-7339. Other customers who need special payment arrangements should call (800) 950-2356.

As the fire subsides, SCE crews and support personnel will continue round-the-clock efforts making repairs and restoring service to areas ravaged by the wildfires.

SCE also reminds customers of these important safety tips when there is a widespread outage:

  • Check on the medical needs of family and neighbors.
  • Use flashlights. Do not use candles, which can start fires.
  • Keep battery-powered radios with fresh batteries so they remain operable.
  • Maintain at least three-quarters of a tank of gasoline in your vehicle(s). Gas station pumps do not operate during power outages.
  • Have alternate, back-up arrangements in place to keep perishable food chilled and fresh in the event of prolonged outages. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible during an outage —a well-filled, unopened freezer will keep food frozen for hours without electricity.
  • Never connect a portable generator directly to a power line. State law requires that customers inform SCE when a generator is being used at a home or business by calling (800) 655-4555.
  • Never touch a power line suspended in the air or lying on the ground.

For more information, visit SCE’s Web site at www.sce.com/safety.
 
About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is the one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of more than 13 million via 4.8 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.