What Happens if we Accidentally Damage your Property
Mistakes happen. And if we make one, we’ll compensate you quickly and fairly.
We aim to reach a decision on your claim within 30 days of receipt. However, it may take longer, if the issue is more complex.
When the investigation is complete, we’ll call or send you a letter with details of the outcome.
Please review the information on this page carefully before initiating a claim.
We evaluate each claim individually to determine:
- How the incident happened
- The extent of the damage
- If the damage was the result of Idaho Power negligence
- What the law considers fair compensation
We strive to reach a final decision within 30 business days from the receipt of your claim documents. We will contact you once our review is complete.
To initiate a claim please fill out this form.
Alternatively, you can contact a customer service representative at 208-388-2323, or 1-800-488-6151 from outside the Treasure Valley. Personal assistance is available Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Mountain Time.
Idaho Power will not provide compensation for events caused by forces outside of our reasonable control. Such events may include power outages, voltage fluctuations, food loss and property damage resulting from the following:
- Weather conditions such as wind, lightning, heat, snow, ice or flooding
- Bird, squirrel or other animal contacts with equipment
- Unanticipated equipment failure
- External causes, such as automobile accidents, falling trees, or construction activities
For more information, see Rule J of the Idaho/Oregon tariff Rules and Regulations.
Please understand it is your responsibility to provide adequate protection against voltage fluctuations (surge protection) for your motors and electronic equipment. In cases where there was no surge protection and a motor or electronic equipment is damaged, Idaho Power may not be responsible to compensate you.
For more information, please see Rule K of the Idaho/Oregon tariff Rules and Regulations.
We are committed to evaluating all claims in a responsive and thorough manner to help resolve your claim as quickly as possible.
If we are responsible, we will pay a reasonable cost to repair the items we damaged. If you have replaced items, we will pay you the actual cash value of the original item, determined by today’s replacement cost minus depreciation.
As another option, you can file a claim with your insurance company to reimburse you for your loss, less your deductible. Your insurer may then choose to present the claim to us to recover compensation paid to you. Your insurer may be able to reimburse you for your losses and may, in some cases, pay replacement value (RCV) for damaged items, less your deductible.
If you have experienced damages, we recommend you do the following:
- Retain copies of all receipts for a full and accurate assessment of any loss or damage suffered
- Minimize your damages (i.e. use ice to prevent food spoilage during extended outages)
- Ensure losses or expenses incurred because of an incident are not accumulating needlessly and are reasonable in relation to the loss
You should take reasonable steps to reduce your loss.
You are responsible for preserving the evidence and providing copies of appropriate supporting documentation, including repair estimates, repair invoices, original purchase receipts and invoices, sales receipts, replacement item receipts and invoices, appraisals, photos, tax records, bank statements, etc.
If your claim involves food spoilage, food spoilage claims are evaluated based on guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
- A fully stocked freezer typically keeps food frozen for two days after losing power, if the door remains closed
- A half-full freezer usually keeps frozen approximately one day, if the door remains closed
- Food will usually stay cold in a refrigerator up to four hours, if the door remains closed
If a claim is submitted, please provide all supporting documentation, which may include:
- Detailed receipts, repair estimates and/or invoices
- Photographs
- Medical records and receipts for services rendered
For assistance with a PDF on this page or to request a PDF in an alternate format, please contact Customer Service at 208-388-2323 or 1-800-488-6151