After power outage in Madison, some residents’ furnaces stop working

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Some Sunset Village owners claim furnace damage could be the result of a power outage on Friday night.

According to Madison Gas and Electric, nearly 2,000 residents were without power Friday night and Saturday morning following a utility pole crash on Madison’s west side.

At around 9:40 p.m. Friday, a car struck a utility pole near Monroe Ave. near Western St., according to MG&E. The accident broke the pole.

Almost all of the impacted customers had their power restored by 4 a.m. Saturday. About 100 customers had their power restored later in the morning, between about 9:30 and 10 a.m.

Sunset Village residents Wayne Hayes and Deborah Helman said they believe a power surge damaged some of their electrical appliances and broke their furnace.

”We were both there with our kindles reading for our book club and then all of a sudden there was a popping sound and the strip on the side of our bed… something crackled and then there was a smell in the air, the light on my side of the bed went out,” Hayes said.

The couple paid $2,400 for a heating and cooling company to fix their furnace on Saturday.

Neighbor Joan Provencher said her furnace and/or thermostat is also not working.

”Our biggest question is who is liable for this?” Provencher said. “Does MG&E cover the cost of this or is it home owner’s insurance? That’s what we don’t know but we’ll find out.”

MG&E representatives said they’re still looking into the power outage and that concerned customers can contact them at 1-800-245-1125.

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