VENT Florida Power and Light

[Grog]

It was in the news here yesteday that FPL is stretched so thin that our power company here in Houston was sending trucks and workers to help out. I'm sure we're not the only ones.

 

[Talking Hands]

Hagred,
Tupperware is fully aware of the problems in Florida. They are one of Florida's largest businesses and are based in Kissimmee.
My husband has gotten permission for me to use the computers at his office. It helps that I am a licensed realtor so I can answer phones and stuff for them if need be. My license is with their referral group.
I know I will have to make the best of it but I donlt have to be happy about FPL lack of cutomer service prior to Frances. Our electrician indicated that this is par for the course with them.
Yes, I did expect a call back in a timely manner within 24 hours. If they could not call within that them then don't say that they will. Now if they had said they could not get to me that would have been fine but they didn't even return the call.

 

[Talking Hands]

Originally posted by powellrj
I read on the mycoupons board today that tupperware site was down until Tuesday, but if you need to place an order you can do it by phone.

Unfortunately as I said in my OP, the electrical problem blew my tty and amplified phones. Due to my hearing loss I can't use a cell phone to speak to someone. I use text messaging.

It is SOP after hurricanes for other utilities to send crews to work in the affected areas. NC guys fixed our phone after Andrew after 2 months. Took that long to get the poles back up. Also NC guys got our electricity up as well after 3 weeks and my next door neighbor replaced the weather heads on all the electrical boxes in our block that didn't have any other damage to them. Friends in the Gables who did not lose power were still serviced by FPL during the time we were without power. Of course Andrew was a tighter more compact storm and did little damage outside of So Dade even though it was more powerful than Charley or Frances.

 

[poohandwendy]

{{{sigh}}} Well, I guess there is no way for you to be understanding of the situation. Perhaps you would be better served in a state that does not carry a risk of hurricanes.

 

[delswife]

My husband has gotten permission for me to use the computers at his office. It helps that I am a licensed realtor so I can answer phones and stuff for them if need be.

Then...

Unfortunately as I said in my OP, the electrical problem blew my tty and amplified phones. Due to my hearing loss I can't use a cell phone to speak to someone

I'm confused. You can help your husband answer phones at work but can't place orders for yourself?

Why couldn't you place the orders from his job?

 

[mtblujeans]

I hope this thread is not going to get nasty.....or any nastier than it has. I always hate it when the Moderators have to take the ball away and send us all home by closing the thread.

Everybody reacts differently to stress and emergencies. We have to be patient with each other. I don't live anywhere near Florida but I can certainly understand the devastation that is happening down there now! We have sent people from Montana to Florida to work on different areas of emergency, just as Florida has sent different emergency workers to Montana and Washington in the past when we have needed them.

As the OP has a valid point that her electrical problem should have been addressed before the emergency occurred ~ and I don't think any of us disagree with her ~ she has expressed frustration that she must now wait her turn to have her problem addressed.

I think some of us are misunderstanding and feel she is expressing that she should not have to wait or be prioritized within the emergency realm right now. I do not believe that is what she is expressing. I believe she is expressing that she is frustrated because the problem was not addressed in a timely manner before the emergency arose. I could be wrong, but, if that is indeed what she is expressing, she has done that.

I don't believe there is a disagreement here.....I think some are stating one thing and some are stating another.

I hate to see this thread get nasty as I don't believe anyone is really in disagreement.

 

[delswife]

I understand what you are saying mtblujeans but her problems came after Charlie. I think she should cut the power company some slack.

My DH worked for a utility company during one of the worst ice storm year NE ever saw. I know they are doing the best they can and working around the clock.

They have been smacked with 2 huge hurricanes! I think the least of their problems right now is customer service and curtousy calls.

So many people lost so much in the last month. I know watching these hurricanes destroy so many lives I am greatful for what I have.

I would vbe better off if I had no electricity. Then I would get service. -nstead I pay for service that is insufficient for the house. No power I xould deal with. This I cannot, I can't even wash my clothes and the frig and frezer will probably burn out as well at thid rate.

Hopefully she can have these same complaints by the end of hurricane season. I know there are thousands of people in Florida that would be more than happy to have insufficient power for thier house. Or a house at all for that matter.

 

[C.Ann]

Up here that is commonly referred to as a "brown out" - which can be caused by any number of reasons, including a loose connection at the pole..

To continue to run appliances and/or lights etc., under those conditions poses a serious risk of not only having them "burn out", but a very serious risk of burning your home to the ground..

The safest thing to do would be to unplug everything and find someplace else to stay until the problem can be resolved.. Not a pleasant thought, I'm sure - but much safer and less costly in the long run..

 

[Mskanga]

I am curious about something, does anyone have any generators down there for when things like this happen? I know up north a lot of people have generators as back up for storms in the winter.

 

[marlasmom]

HOme Depot had generators ranging from $400 to $1,000.

Her problem occurred after Charley. There is still an incredible amount of devastation from that storm.

I agree. I hate it when there is no power, but they really do do their best. They are swamped with calls - they are short-staffed in many areas - people can't get to work. They put all possible people to restoring power.

I appreciate your frustration, but please be realistic. (I considered calling and saying that my DH needs his electric equipment because of illness. That is true, but he wouldn't let me. He said there were people so much worse off he would not consider it. My friend's husband needs oxygyn 24/7. They have to have power or he will die. They cope with lots and lots of portable oxygyn.)

 

[workinggal]

If you can post here, why can't you go to tupperware to put in your orders?

 

[Billmel]

Try calling a local electrical/utility company (private co.) that handles problems occuring on the poles. I work for a electrical utility co here in NC who also sent alot of trucks down to help with Charley and Frances. They do alot of work for small company's and residential pole problems, along with working with the larger utility co's such as FPL and Progress energy. If this works for you maybe at a later date you can seek reimbursement for the work, or you can simply wait for FPL to take care of the problem.

 

[jerrysboy40]

Too bad it's just you living in the whole state of Florida. Maybe you should be thankful you have a roof over your head.

 

[currycook]

Saw a friends wife who works for FPL in the store tonight. She also works and related how since Hurricane Charlie she has been a single parent as he has been gone. He came home on Sunday to take care of his own home during Hurricane Frances as a day off then went back out. He has been working 16 hour days since Charlie, what has that been several weeks ago. Tough life right now for all the employees. And there are still people down in Punta Gorda who do not have power still from Hurricane Charlie. Florida has been hit hard.

 

[Serena]

I heard that there was 6 million people without any electricity. I'd be too busy counting my blessings to complain about now, if I lived there.

 

[LindaG4458]

DH used to work for one of the major electric companies in MA. Anytiime there was a big storm in or out of state he was gone and I was a "storm widow". There were several of us in the neighborhood. After working 16 hour days for several weeks some customers actually threatened him with bodily harm because their electricity wasn't back yet! They accused these guys of goofing off! If only!

You and your brownout are low man on the totem pole. You may not realize that, in these situations, office staff are used to man outside locations. You probably didn't get a call back because nobody was there!

As DH used to tell me when I complained that our power was out for too long, you don't pay for what you don't use!

 

[tiggersmom2]

I just wanted to add my 2 cents and I am NOT slamming anyone. I live in Middle Ga and I have been without power for 3 and 1/2 days (it just came back on). Our weather was NOT that bad (25-45 mph winds). The reason it took us this long to get power was because most of our men are in Florida helping out with the relief effort. I hope Florida recovers quickly!

 

[kbeverina]

Originally posted by tiggersmom2
I just wanted to add my 2 cents and I am NOT slamming anyone.

Same here--our good friends work for Northern Va Electric Cooperative. She's in accounting and he's an electrical engineer/Vice President. Last year when we were hit by Isabel, I watched their son because they were at the office nearly 24/7 manning phones--they felt horrible having to take these calls and tell people how long it would take to get them up and running.

The work was prioritized--sections with medical needs first, then based on population. We had a small number of people in our section and could see lights up all around us long before our power came back. I felt bad for the teachers at school who didn't have power for two weeks, but the schools did and they had to report.

Last week we were in Bermuda with these same friends and met some others from Virginia--their husbands work for another local power company and were supposed to join them that weekend, but wouldn't be able to because of Frances. They were headed to Florida instead.

 

[currycook]

Sad news here in FLorida. Around the Tampa area a worker for TECO (a power company here in Florida) was killed working to cut trees away from power lines. Happened this morning.