One customer had four simple words. “Shame on you, Pepco.”
That was the general feeling of customers who were without power for days after last month’s violent storms.
Customers had the chance to make their feelings known at a D.C. Council hearing on Friday.
For more than five hours, witness after witness spoke about living for days without electricity, dealing with spoiled food, sweltering heat and what was perhaps most frustrating, little or conflicting information.
Residents urged the DC council to install underground power lines, but Pepco says that could take 30 years and cost $5 billion to achieve.
Pepco officials defended their crews, saying the majority of the 69,000 customers who lost power had it back within two days.
Despite the criticism, Pepco is waiting to hear about a possible rate hike approval from the Maryland Public Service Commission.
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Other power companies like BG&E, SMECO and Potomac Edison are also scheduling public hearings to discuss last month’s power outages.
