Frustrated by DTE Energy’s response to widespread outages caused by Friday’s storms, Candee Smith turned to social media to vent after losing power Friday night.
“I had bought food and everything, not just for the holiday, because I am like most people; it was paycheck day,” Smith said.
Over the weekend, Local 4 received dozens of calls and emails from viewers with similar complaints.
We took some of the most common questions directly to DTE.
One major concern: spoiled food over the holiday weekend and whether DTE’s outage credit goes far enough.
“This was a holiday weekend, a lot of people stocked up on food that they have now had to toss. What would you say to your customers who say $42, that credit is not enough?” Local 4 asked.
Brian Calka, DTE Electric’s senior vice president of distribution operations, said the utility understands the frustration.
“We recognize the inconvenience this event has created for those customers. The $42 credit is actually one of the largest credits of its kind across the country,” Calka said.
How does DTE determine when your power will be back on?
Another question we heard repeatedly: How DTE comes up with estimated restoration times on its outage map?
According to the company, the timeline is based on field assessments, not guesswork. Crews and engineers first go out to determine what’s actually damaged, such as broken poles, downed wires, or trees on lines.
Once that damage is identified, DTE estimates how long repairs will take.
That estimate is what appears on the outage map.
How does DTE decide which outages get fixed first?
DTE also explained how it prioritizes repairs.
The company said crews first respond to safety hazards, such as downed power lines, then focus on restoring power to critical facilities, such as hospitals and pumping stations.
After that, crews typically move from the largest outages to the smallest.
DTE said power will be restored for all customers by the end of the day Tuesday.
Smith’s power was restored Sunday afternoon.
While she said she’s grateful to the crews working around the clock, she added that her frustration is with DTE’s leadership.