I got a couple of interesting things in the mail on12/31. First was the monthly (quarterly?) newsletter from my local electric co-op. Two articles about Y2K. Both said the same thing. We're working as hard as we can. We'll try to make sure this works. We care about our consumers. Real warm-fuzzy stuff.

The next thing was from our insurance carrier. "Just a note to say Season's Greetings. By the way, you are not insured if your computer goes belly-up at the turn of the year 2000. Better check it out." Of course I'm paraphrasing, but that was the gist of it.

Nothing I read makes me feel any better, and now I'm getting stuff in the mail to make it worse. Sigh.

-- margie mason (mar3mike@aol.com), January 02, 1999

Answers

Hi margie,

I think we will be seeing alot of these type of things. What general area are you located in? First, I do think we are in for major problems. Second, I do think the most utility companies are working as fast as they can. My husband is a senior IT for a utility ( 30 yrs in) and very aware of y2k (utility part). He knows what the companies are doing and has offered to contact "friends" at other places to see if they are as far along as his company. He is more worried about the vendors...which of course has the same disasterous effect..but they really are working on it. He worked 8o hours/week for several weeks just trying to meet deadlines.(AND DID) Utility companies normally have top quality/updated equipment...not to say all do, but most do. He does concede problems in some area of the US..especially non US countries. He feels the smaller rural utility companies will have more problems in some ways..but in others they are not as high tech and do more things manual. He insists HIS company can go manual..says he does it occasionally when necessary. Just thought I would try and give you some hope that it is at least being taken serious by some people. Doesn't mean there won't be problems though.

-- DAC (snowing@thistime.com), January 02, 1999.

Margie,

My mother belongs to the rather large HMO Kaiser. In December she received, instead of a January bill, a stack of payment voucher's for each month in 1999. They'd never handled their billing that way before. Interesting.

Stay on top of your electric utility. They are the "key" service.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 02, 1999.

I live in the midwest and my electric provider is a rural co-op. I guess the feeling I got was they had to say "something", thus the articles. I would rather they say something substantial. But nobody's going to say much until they're sure they're on top of it, right?

-- margie mason (mar3mike@aol.com), January 02, 1999.

My father-in-law received a letter from his insurance company telling him they would not be liable for anything connected with Y2k. I just happened to have to be in the office of this insurance agency soon after he received the letter. I questioned the ladies working and they looked at me very funny and said they really had no idea what the letter meant. They suggested that if your home pc did not work, it would not be covered. I then had reason to talk to the adjuster and thought I would ask him. Again, he kind of mumbled and said he really did not know.> I think there are a multitude of things it applies to such as if a stoplight is out and someone hits you or you hit someone. Insurance will not pay. What if your car does not start, insurance will not pay. What about that home security system that you paid so much for. If it does not work and someone breaks in, will your insurance have to pay? (And would you be better off not having security, because those that do not have a system, the insurances will pay?) What if your electricity goes off for several days and all your pipes freeze. Will the insurance pay? If anyone knows about Y2k, it is the insurance companies. They have done their homework and looked over all the different situations that could arise and applied it to the policies.> Ironically, we have the same provider and still have not received any type of letter informing us of this policy.

-- Linda A. (adahi@muhlon.com), January 02, 1999.

Interesting Linda,

Not covered due to y2k glitches is a broad term...they could make it mean about anything they want. Will call our company and see what they have in mind.

-- Moore Dinty moore (not@thistime.com), January 02, 1999.

The Y2K lesson is, we pay.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 02, 1999.