Downtown Honolulu Businesses Struggle to Recover from Financial Losses due to Power Outage

In the aftermath of Thursday’s power outage in Downtown Honolulu, businesses faced significant losses. Several shops were forced to toss food items, cancel catering orders and struggle to recover from the financial setbacks. The owner of JoJo’s Kitchen shared that a substantial order had to be canceled due to the outage, leading to wasted food, time and money.

As a result of these losses, some business owners in Downtown Honolulu are considering filing damage claims with Hawaiian Electric (HECO). Customers have the right to file claims for compensation for any losses caused by the outage within 30 days from the date of the outage. HECO has reported that in 2022, a total of 943 claims were filed on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island, with a payout of $249,579.86.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs advises consumers to first attempt to resolve issues directly with utility companies like HECO before filing an information complaint with the Public Utilities Commission if unresolved. Meanwhile, HECO continues to investigate the underground cable power outage that led to Thursday’s events and reassures customers that Downtown Honolulu’s network is now stable.