Donald and his wife were enjoying a quiet evening at home in Altura, Minnesota, when the lights and television suddenly went out. Donald quickly noticed that while some lights were still on, others were not. Suspecting an issue with their 240-volt service, he checked the electrical panel, but no breakers were tripped. Using a multimeter, a tool that measures electrical current and voltage, Donald tested the voltage and found that the house was only receiving 120 volts instead of the expected 240.
Realizing that the problem might be external, Donald contacted his local power company, People’s Energy Cooperative, to check the meter. When they confirmed that 240 volts were reaching the meter, Donald knew that the issue was with the connection between his home and the utility’s lines, which would require a professional contractor to fix.
The partial loss of power was a significant inconvenience. Half of the house’s lights and outlets were out, and appliances that needed 240 volts, like the dryer, oven, and stove, stopped working. Donald and his wife had to use extension cords to power essential items like their Wi-Fi router.
Donald had anticipated such a scenario because he knew that their home had a lot of underground wiring, which could be prone to issues. He had enrolled in an emergency home repair plan from HomeServe, prompted by a flyer from his electrical company. This decision turned out to be a smart move, as the repair was costly due to the complexity of their underground electrical connection. A contractor would need to dig a trench from the electric pole to their home to replace over 175 feet of electrical line, including going under a retaining wall and a deck.
“Our electrical company sent a flyer and a recommendation to sign up for the plan,” Donald said. “We signed up because the cost was low and we knew we had a lot of underground wire.”
Thanks to the HomeServe plan, Donald saved $5,000 on the repair and didn’t have to search for a licensed and insured electrician. HomeServe arranged for Capelle’s Electric to handle the job. Donald was pleased with the work, noting that the company did a good job from start to finish. Without the coverage, he would have faced a significant financial burden and might have had to consider a temporary fix instead of a full repair. In the end, Donald and his wife were satisfied with the outcome and grateful for the assistance.
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