Well color me a bit surprised. I just got a letter in the mail from PG&E to let me know they're giving me some money to compensate for my recent outage.

Here's 80% of the text from the letter:

Pacific Gas and Electric Company now has a service guarantee program which provides compensation for not meeting specific criteria (i.e., untimely restoration) when responding to service requests. This compensation is in the form of billing credits place on customer accounts.
Because we did not meet the agreed-to service restoration window, a credit in the amount of $30.00 will be placed on your account within two months.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and will continually strive to provide you with the best service possible. Our service guarantee program reinforces that commitment.

I wonder how George Orwell would have written it.

Maybe something like this.

PG&E will be crediting your account $30.00 to compensate for your recent electrical outage. We're sorry that it took so long to fix and will try harder next time.

But, hey, at least I got the cash, right? :-)

Posted by jzawodn at September 14, 2004 02:50 PM

Reader Comments
# Alex said:

Don't spend it all in one place. :)

on September 14, 2004 03:21 PM
# Marco said:

Well, he's got to... it's a credit :)

on September 14, 2004 05:00 PM
# Kalyan said:

If my electric company did that, I would be a billionaire by now :)

on September 15, 2004 04:39 AM
# Joe Grossberg said:

IN SOVIET RUSSIA ... BILLS PAY YOU!!!!!

on September 15, 2004 07:38 AM
# Scott Johnson said:

Wow! I'm surprised they actually credited you. This must be the first time in history that a utility has done such a thing. ;-)

on September 15, 2004 09:28 PM
# kpaul said:

just hope a wire doesn't get crossed somewhere and they charge you $30 instead of give you a credit! ;)

on September 15, 2004 09:45 PM
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