Problem Solver: Squirrel Causes Power Surge?

Power surges coming into your home can wreck havoc on appliances and electronics. But what if an animal outside of your home was the cause of the surge? Dianne Derby finds out who is responsible and what you can do to protect yourself in this 7 On Your Side Problem Solver.

By: Dianne Derby | News Channel 7
Published: May 21, 2008

"We were sitting on the front porch one night and we heard these loud booms inside the house," said David Walker.

Walker says the power surge that came into his rental home in Lyman early this month destroyed more than $2000 worth of electronics.

"The TV, my VCR, and the computer was plugged into (a surge protector)," said Walker.

When he filed a claim with Duke Energy to get reimbursed for the damage he was denied.

"They said it was because of nature," said Walker. "They said they aren't responsible. They said a squirrel chewed through the line."

Mr. Walker says he was sent a letter from Duke Energy's claim service, Specialty Risk Services, that said "...an animal chewed into a neutral wire, causing unbalanced voltage."

During a phone interview spokesperson Andy Thompson told 7 On Your Side it's an incident beyond their control.

"It's very similar to lightning striking your house or a line or even a car striking power pole in front of your house," said Thompson. "Those types of things can have power surges and we really don't have control over those."

It's not an answer Mr. Walker wanted to hear.

"I could accept that if there was no splice in the line," he said.

Duke Energy 's Thompson did admit there were two splices on the line but said it was a common maintenance technique that would not pose a problem to the service.

Now without renter's insurance the Walker's can only hope this won't happen again.

Duke Energy says even with a surge protector you aren't always safe. The South Carolina Department of Insurance says the best way to make sure you don't lose out on damage to costly items is to have renter's or homeowner's insurance. Make sure you review your policy carefully to know what is covered.