New York State Food and Prescription Medication Spoilage Claims

When you need to request reimbursement

We know that experiencing a prolonged service interruption is never easy. That’s why, in any outage, our crews are committed to restoring our customers’ electricity and natural gas service as soon as safely possible.

In New York State, customers who experience an electricity or natural gas outage at their National Grid service address that lasts at least 72 consecutive hours are eligible to request reimbursement for loss of food and/or prescription medication under the terms of Public Service Law 73. Requests for such reimbursements must be filed within 14 days of the 72-hour outage mark, regardless of current outage status.  

Eligible items to claim include spoiled perishable food and prescription medication items.

Public Notice Issuance

At the 72-hour outage mark, regardless of current outage status, National Grid will post an online notice of reimbursement eligibility and take additional measures to broadly communicate this information to the public by noon the following calendar day. This notice will be posted regardless of whether customers' service has been restored, and it will clearly state the 14-day due date by which customers must file for reimbursement.

What You Can Expect

Residential customers who experienced an outage lasting more than 72 consecutive hours due to a storm/incident will automatically receive a $25 bill credit for each subsequent 24-hour period of the outage and may be eligible for reimbursement due to food and/or prescription medication spoilage, under the terms of Public Service Law 73. Customers that experienced an outage lasting more than 72 consecutive hours may also submit claims for reimbursement for spoiled food or prescription medications. Reimbursement claims for qualifying customers must (i) include an itemized list of all food/prescription medication spoiled and/or verifiable proof of loss and (ii) be submitted within 14 days of the 72-hour outage mark. Residential customers with verifiable proof of loss are potentially eligible for up to $540 in reimbursement for spoiled food, and up to the actual loss of perishable prescription medicine. Residential customers without verifiable proof of loss are potentially eligible for up to $235 in reimbursement for spoiled food if an itemized list is submitted. Reimbursements for prescription medication will only be provided if the reimbursement claim includes an itemized list and verifiable proof of loss.

Additionally, small business customers who experienced an outage lasting more than 72 consecutive hours due to a storm/incident may be eligible for reimbursement for food spoilage, under the terms of Public Service Law 73. Small business customers will be required to provide an itemized list of all food spoiled and verifiable proof of loss within 14 days of the 72-hour outage mark. Small business customers with verifiable proof of loss are potentially eligible for up to $540 in reimbursement.

For any claims, an itemized list means a list of the spoiled food and/or perishable prescription medicine and the value of each item on the list. Verifiable proof of loss means documentation of the market value of the item to substantiate the claim. This can include, but is not limited to, credit card receipts, grocery flyers with item identification and pricing, or screenshots of items with pricing. National Grid may request an interview to clarify any submitted documentation and/or request further documentation.

While online submission is most efficient for processing, claims also can be submitted through the following methods:

Ways to file a claim

1. Online. You can submit a claim online by completing the Food and Prescription Medication Spoilage Claim Form.  Please note this form is on our Origami Risk website. 
   
   Submit a Claim
   
   
2. By Email. Download and email the Food and Prescription Medication Spoilage Claim Form (pdf) and your supporting documentation to foodloss@nationalgrid.com
   
   
3. By US Postal Service. Mail the Food and Prescription Medication Spoilage Claim Form (pdf) and your supporting documentation to:
   National Grid – NYS Food Spoilage Claims (PSL73)
   55 Bearfoot Road
   Northboro, MA 01532
   
   
4. By Phone. Call 315-428-3370