HOUSTON – Three Richmond families are scrambling to salvage Christmas after a malfunctioning CenterPoint Energy transformer fried tens of thousands of dollars worth of appliances.
"Every appliance -- the refrigerator, microwave, stove, dishwasher, everything," Patrick Morrisey, a homeowner in the Grand Mission subdivision, said.
Next door, Ashley Grantham has temporarily moved out because her son has a heart condition, and she is worried about the persistent odor of burned plastic.
Centerpoint behind a Christmas Problem?
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"Our washer was actually on fire in our home," Grantham said.
Another neighbor said their air conditioning unit is no longer functioning.
Each of the three homeowners said that Centerpoint Energy has been less than helpful in communicating what happened, or reimbursing them for the damage.
"We were supposed to hear back from CenterPoint before the end of the day yesterday, so we called the adjuster to ask what was going on. Well, they left for the holidays they wont be back till Tuesday," Grantham said.
"I'm a late Christmas gift shopper so now it's like, 'Do we buy the Christmas gifts or save our money and see if we have to buy a new fridge?'" Morrisey said.
PHOTOS: Transformer failure fries 3 Richmond families' appliances
Nobody was hurt in the incident, which has been linked to a transformer which failed to regulate the voltage into six homes. Only three of the six homes appear to have been damaged.
CenterPoint Energy, Alicia Dixon, released the following statement:
"On Dec. 19, CenterPoint Energy crews responded to a call in the Richmond area and determined that a transformer had failed and was causing voltage fluctuations. Consequently, six houses were affected. The transformer was replaced and power was restored that same day.
"KPRC 2 claims department sent a third-party appraiser to evaluate each customer's damage and offered to have an electrician make repairs to customer-owned electrical equipment.
"Once repairs are made, CenterPoint Energy will work closely with each individual customer regarding their specific damages. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this has caused."
Consumers can file complaints about unaddressed problems with utilities on the Texas Public Utility Commission website.