How to File a Home Insurance Claim for Power Outage in Texas
With Hurricane Beryl knocking out power to millions of Houston homes for nearly a week in July 2024 — and Tropical Storm Bertha currently affecting Southeast Texas — knowing exactly how power outage claims work is one of the most practical financial skills a Texas homeowner can have.
What Your Homeowners Policy Does and Does Not Cover
The most critical distinction in any power outage claim is the cause of the outage. If you evacuated your house because of a power outage or evacuation — and your home wasn't damaged — your policy won't cover additional living expenses. However, if the storm that caused the outage also physically damaged your home — such as a tornado removing part of your roof — your additional living expenses coverage activates. The cause of damage is the deciding factor in which policy provision responds.
Food Spoilage: Covered But Often Below Your Deductible
Food spoilage is technically covered under most Texas homeowners policies — but the deductible trap catches most claimants off guard. On most Houston homeowners policies, the deductible sits well above $500, often a thousand or several thousand. When the food loss is smaller than the deductible, the claim pays nothing, even though the loss is technically covered. After Beryl, more than half of the food spoilage claims filed paid out nothing at all. Knowing this before filing saves you time, paperwork, and disappointment.
The Real Money Is in Surge Damage
The larger financial exposure from power outages is not food — it is equipment. The real money after an outage is usually not the food — it is what the power does when it comes back. A surge can hit when service is restored, or when a line goes down in a storm, and it can ruin electronics, appliances, and the control board in your air conditioner. Equipment breakdown coverage and electronics protection endorsements are the provisions most likely to generate meaningful payouts after a prolonged outage.
Step-by-Step: How to File the Claim
Document all damages by taking photos and videos of the damaged parts of your home and belongings — and include detailed receipts to show how much it will cost to fix each issue. Do not begin any repair work without doing this because it can sabotage your claim. Contact your insurance company as soon as possible, keep a list of everyone you speak with, and describe the damage clearly. Make a list of damaged property, take photos or video, and don't throw away damaged items until you talk to your insurer or adjuster.
Filing a Claim Against Your Utility Company
If Oncor or another Texas utility caused your outage through negligence, a separate claim process exists. If you believe Oncor caused a loss for which you should be compensated, you may submit a claim using their online portal — a Claims representative will contact you no later than 10 business days with an initial determination. You can also call Oncor's Texas-based contact center at 1-888-313-6862. Contact the Texas Department of Insurance at 800-252-3439 if your claim is delayed or disputed.
