LUMA has paid only one $402 appliance damage claim in five years of operation

Of the 2,266 claims consumers have filed against LUMA Energy for electrical appliance damage since June 2021, the company has paid exactly one -- for $402.01. The figures, disclosed by the company itself to Metro Puerto Rico, paint an alarming picture: 2,124 claims denied, 123 classified as "denied incomplete," five expired, and just 13 cases still in process ¹. For an island that has spent years enduring constant blackouts and voltage fluctuations that fry refrigerators, air conditioners, and medical equipment, the message is clear: filing a claim exists on paper, but actually getting paid is nearly impossible.

The context makes these numbers even more outrageous. In December 2025, Puerto Rico's Supreme Court determined that the contractual clause LUMA used to shield itself from damage claims could not prevent future claims. The decision came after a lawsuit filed by then-Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO), Valerie Rodriguez Erazo, who sought to annul a section of LUMA's contract and a resolution from the Energy Bureau that, in her view, created barriers for consumers seeking compensation for damages caused by negligence ¹².

But eight months after that legal victory, concrete results are virtually nonexistent. According to the executive director of the Independent Office of Consumer Protection, Hannia Rivera Diaz, only 25 consumers sought guidance about equipment damage during 2026. Consumers have one year from the date of damage to file a claim, while LUMA has 90 days to address it ¹.

The claims process remains extremely rigorous. The customer must complete a LUMA form and present evidence that damages were caused by electrical service. Requirements include a certification issued by a licensed electrical expert concluding that equipment was affected by load relays or voltage fluctuations. Additionally, the claimant must provide the original purchase invoice, receipt, or repair cost estimate. If the equipment cannot be repaired, a total loss certification issued by a properly licensed technician is required for each piece of equipment included in the claim ¹.

Rodriguez Erazo questioned whether the Supreme Court ruling is actually being implemented properly. "With insufficient public information about how these cases are being handled and with no known results demonstrating consumers are being effectively compensated, it is inevitable to question whether that ruling is really being implemented appropriately," the former secretary noted ¹.

The former official also rejected LUMA's interpretation of the ruling's prospectivity. "If a consumer's refrigerator was damaged before December 1, 2025, they do not lose their right because the ruling was issued afterward. As long as the claim is within the year the law establishes for claiming those damages, LUMA must evaluate it," she argued ¹.

Meanwhile, the electrical system continues generating the same damages. This very week, failures at the Aguirre and EcoElectrica plants left more than 370,000 customers without service, and energy czar Josue Colon attributed the breakdowns to layoffs at Genera PR that occurred in April after the company learned of budget cuts ³⁴.

What this means for you

If a blackout or voltage fluctuation ever damaged your refrigerator, television, air conditioner, or any electrical equipment, you have a legal right to claim compensation from LUMA. The Supreme Court confirmed it. But the reality is that the process is designed with so many technical requirements -- expert assessments, certifications, original invoices -- that the vast majority of consumers give up or fail to meet all documentation requirements within the 30-day window LUMA provides. Out of 2,266 people who tried, only one managed to collect. That is not a fair process; it is a bureaucratic wall.

How to do it

1. Document the damage immediately: take photos of the equipment, the meter, and note the exact date and time of the electrical event (blackout, fluctuation, load relay).
2. Hire a licensed electrical expert who can certify that the damage was caused by voltage fluctuations or load relays from the electrical service.
3. Gather the original purchase invoice for the equipment or a repair estimate from a licensed technician. If the equipment is a total loss, you need a total loss certification from a licensed technician.
4. Complete LUMA's claim form available on their customer service portal or at a commercial office.
5. Submit all documentation within one year of the damage -- do not wait.
6. If LUMA does not respond within 90 days or denies your claim, seek guidance from the Independent Office of Consumer Protection or contact DACO.
7. Consider joining collective actions or contacting consumer organizations that can apply pressure to make the process more accessible.

What comes next

Current DACO Secretary Hiram Torres Montalvo indicated that "although the litigation continues, the rule of law permits those claims." LUMA, for its part, maintains its attempt to stop the lawsuit in federal court, but the judicial process enabling future claims remains active. Rodriguez Erazo insists that there must be "a clear, uniform, and accessible regulation for all consumers" with transparent terms and available remedies if a claim is denied. Without such regulation, the right recognized by the Supreme Court remains a dead letter for most Puerto Ricans.

Sources:

• ¹ Metro Puerto Rico, "LUMA Energy reporta una sola reclamación pagada por daños a enseres," July 30, 2026
• ² Puerto Rico Supreme Court, Decision on LUMA contractual immunity clause, December 1, 2025
• ³ El Vocero, "Fallas en Aguirre y EcoEléctrica dejaron a más de 370,000 abonados sin servicio eléctrico," July 29, 2026
• ⁴ El Nuevo Día, "Josué Colón apunta a despidos en Genera PR como causa de averías en centrales," July 29, 2026