boulevarde, texas – A small business owner says CPS Energy has denied his claim for damages after the utility's crews drove through an unfinished driveway in Bulverde and destroyed thousands of dollars worth of rebar that had been installed. .
“Everything that had been done before had to be redone,” said Cameron Celli, whose company was hired last year to fill the driveway of a custom home off Casey Road.
Photos of the damage provided to KSAT by Celli show rebar destroyed. One of his photos includes his two girlfriend's CPS Energy trucks parked next to the house, on the opposite side of the driveway where there is no rain.
CPS Energy workers, who were doing the initial power installation on the property, had initially agreed to bypass the unfinished driveway to access the home, Celli said.
He said utility workers ended up driving over rebar, damaging $2,500 worth of material.
The accident delayed the project by two and a half weeks, Cheri said. Workers had to wait until the power company's work was completed before they could install new rebar and proceed with pouring concrete.
“Therefore, your claim is respectfully dismissed.”
Celli told KSAT that CPS Energy employees have given conflicting stories about what happened.
According to Cheri, they told the claims adjuster that they did not cause the damage, but that Cheri's employees were responsible for the damage and that the cost of replacing the materials would be covered by the employer. He said he told him.
Celli, who filed a formal complaint against CPS Energy in late November, called the process “unique.”
He said employees in the utility company's billing department are difficult to reach by phone and end up having to call back from a blocked number.
“They don't answer. They never come to the office,” Seri said, adding that the utility's motto is “People first!” It didn't seem to apply to his situation.
Celli shared with KSAT a voicemail from CPS Energy formally denying the claim for damages.
The 40-second voicemail that Seri said she received from a blocked number was not grounds for rejection.
“After investigation, we have determined that CPS Energy is not responsible for any additional work or costs associated with your claim. Therefore, your claim is respectfully denied,” the voicemail said. I am.
Mr. Ceri said he made repeated phone calls seeking reasons for the denial but received no response.
“It's clear that you caused that much damage to your driveway. Why is there an issue about payment or compensation?'' Seri asked.
CPS Energy payments are less than 10% of your bill
From February 1, 2023 to the end of January, CPS Energy received 412 claims seeking compensation for damages caused by crew and infrastructure.
The utility denied 293 of these claims, 81 remained pending at the time of KSAT's request, and the utility had paid money on 38 of the claims.
According to the data, the rejection rate is almost 91%.
The utility paid $86,157.55 for the 38 accepted claims. This works out to an average of $2,267.30 per accepted claim.
CPS Energy officials declined to make President and CEO Rudy Garza available for an interview for this article and would not provide further information about the company's high claim denial rate. Stated.
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