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CUC: We’re doing the best we can
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Posted on Aug 25 2004
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. yesterday asked for patience and understanding after receiving numerous phone calls from angry customers who have yet to get their power supply restored.
As of Tuesday midnight, 84 percent of the island already has power, according to Pamela Mathis, CUC special adviser for corporate communications.
She noted that CUC personnel made a huge jump in power restoration efforts in most areas, and will continue to do so until power has been restored throughout the island.
“We have been getting phone calls from angry customers, or simply exhausted people, who don’t understand why their neighbor has power and they do not. This is one of the hardest problems we face typhoon after typhoon,” Mathis said. “Please understand that we are not leaving people out. We’re doing everything we can to make all the work done fast.”
She explained that some houses have to be isolated from the energized system if they are connected to a power pole that is down or has cracks. There are also cases where a house cannot be connected even though there’s no problem with the pole nearest to the customer. There may be broken equipment in lateral streets or the road that goes into the area, Mathis said.
Mathis also urged customers to refrain from calling CUC’s 24-hour emergency hotlines—with telephone numbers 235-0282 and 235-2282—for inquiries on the status of power restoration efforts in their area. The hotlines should be reserved for emergency calls such as reports of sparking lines or transformers.
Instead, customers are advised to call CUC at 233-7028 or 29 during normal business hours.
CUC is now preparing a registration form for customers who still do not have power, Mathis added. Copies of the form will be made available at the CUC office on the 3rd floor of the Dandan Commercial Center, or at the CUC customer service office in Garapan.
She said customers may fill in the form, and make sure not to re-register once they are on the list, to avoid confusion.
CUC personnel will be going house-to-house starting tomorrow, when additional manpower from the Guam Power Authority arrives.
