Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Electrical line protection plan

I opened my electric bill today, and one of the random pieces of junk mail inside it caught my eye. It was an enrollment form for their "electrical line protection plan." for $3.99 per month, I could be protected against unexpected repair costs.

I found the facts on the sheet amusing:

The front cover: "Your home contains up to 4,000 feet of wiring! 24 wall outlets! 10 light switches! 1 breaker panel!"

Hmm, I believe I ran about 4,000 feet of wire in just the new space during our renovation. And there's around 24 outlets in the new bedroom and bathroom alone, along with 13 light switches. Not to mention the fact that there's now a second breaker panel in the house.

Inside, were approximate costs for typical household electrical repairs:

Broken light switch: $150.00. Um, try about $1.50.
Repair damaged duplex outlet: $150.00. How about 85 cents?


Okay, so humor aside, I got to thinking some more about this deal. $4 per month, or $48 per year. This covers you for up to $1,000 in repairs every year, though it doesn't include pre-existing conditions, acts of god, among other things. I have a neighbor who tells me he's got some weird stuff going on with his home wiring. minor things, like electric shocks, outlets bursting into flames, and switches that do nothing one day, and work fine the next. he's been living with this situation for about a year now. It seems to me that for a few bucks a month, he could sign up for this plan, live with it a while longer, then after 6 months or so call the electric company and announce that the electrical wiring in his house has suddenly gone, um, haywire. Seems like a pretty sweet deal. Oh there I go, thinking in writing again.

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