The lights blinked twice in a storm over Beech Grove, and now your fridge won't start. For most causes, AES Indiana says it doesn't pay for power surge damage. Its claims page says it isn't responsible for harm from storms, lightning, swings in voltage or equipment failure, though it does look at each claim one at a time.
That's hard news with a fridge full of food on the line. File anyway. Your home insurance may turn out to be the better bet, so it's worth a look at both.
Find your situation:
- A storm or lightning did it: AES says it isn't responsible. Its outage questions page tells you to work with your insurer.
- You think AES was careless: its rules have one exception, for the company's own willful default or neglect. File a claim and say why. AES says it looks at each one case by case.
- The food in your fridge went bad: AES says it doesn't give vouchers for food that spoils in an outage. See what to do with fridge food after a power outage.
- The appliance is still under the maker's warranty: read the fine print. One Samsung fridge warranty we read leaves out surge damage.
- You have home insurance: some policies cover surge damage and some don't. Read yours, or call your agent.
What happens if a power surge damages appliances?
The parts inside can fail at once or wear out early, and AES says most causes aren't its to pay. A power surge is a sudden jump in voltage, which is the push behind the power in your wires. AES Indiana's power quality page says a very high surge can hurt the motors in big appliances and wreck their electronics in an instant.
Small surges do slow harm. AES says they wear down the tiny computer chips inside, so a machine can quit one day for no clear reason.
Read the exact wording
"An extremely high voltage surge can damage major appliance motors and destroy sensitive electronic equipment in an instant. Low-level surges slowly wear down sensitive micro-processors, causing equipment to unexpectedly fail for no apparent reason."
Why AES says most causes aren't its to pay
The answer sits in AES's own rules. The state's utility board approved its Rules and Regulations for Electric Service, and this set has been in force since July 27, 2026. Rule 24.2 says the company isn't liable for damage from the use of power or a break in service. There's one way out: damage due to the company's own willful default or neglect.
Read the exact wording
"The Company shall not be liable for damages resulting to the Customer, or to third persons, from the use of electricity, interruption of service or supply, or the presence of the Company’s property on the Customer’s premises, unless due to willful default or neglect on the part of the Company."
From AES Indiana, Rules and Regulations for Electric Service, Rule 24.2
AES Indiana's damage claims page lists causes it won't pay for. Lightning is on the list. So are storms, voltage swings and equipment that fails. For those, the page sends you to your own insurer.
Read the exact wording
"In these cases, AES Indiana is not responsible for reimbursing a claim. In many instances, damage is more likely to be covered by a home owner’s policy or another type of insurance policy."
What the maker's warranty says
Don't count on the warranty to step in. Samsung's warranty for its Bespoke fridges leaves out "damage caused by incorrect electrical line current, voltage, fluctuations and surges."
That's one maker. Read your own.
How do you prove power surge damage?
AES asks for sales receipts, estimates and invoices on any claim over $50. That's the list on its claims page, so start with paper.
Not every surge comes down the power line, though. The Electrical Safety Foundation International's surge sheet cites a trade group's estimate that 60 to 80 percent of them start inside the building, when big appliances like air conditioners turn on and off.
Read the exact wording
"The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) estimates that 60-80% of surges are created within a facility, such as when large appliances, like air conditioners, turn on and off."
From Electrical Safety Foundation International, Surge and Protect
The claim form also asks what happened, the date and time, and each item's model and serial number, age and value. It has a spot for a witness too.
What to write down today
If a plug or outlet looks burned, stop using it and switch off its breaker. Call an electrician before you use it again.
Do this while it's fresh. Much of it goes straight onto AES's form, and the rest is the record you'd want if anyone asks what happened.
- The day and time: when the lights blinked or the power came back.
- Everything that quit: the fridge, the washer, the garage door opener, the TV. A list of things that died at once tells a clearer story than one.
- Photos: each dead appliance, its model tag and any scorch marks at the plug or outlet.
- Your neighbors: ask if they lost anything too, and note what they say.
- The old part: if a tech swaps one out, ask to keep it.
- A written estimate: one that names the part that failed and what it costs to fix.
Want a tech to take a look first? Here's how repair calls from this site work.
Are power surges covered under homeowners insurance?
Sometimes. It depends on your policy. The Insurance Information Institute's page on lightning says a standard home policy covers damage that comes from a lightning strike, such as a fire. Then it adds that only some policies pay for what a power surge does.
Read the exact wording
"Some policies also provide coverage for the damage caused by power surges."
From Insurance Information Institute, Lightning coverage and safety
So read your policy, or call your agent. Ask one plain question: does this policy pay for a surge that kills an appliance? Ask what your deductible is too, since a small repair may cost less than that.
We have more on what a home policy will and won't pay for in will home insurance pay for a broken appliance.
How do you file a damage claim with AES Indiana?
You fill in AES's Damage Claim form and send it to its Claims Division. Here are the steps from AES Indiana's damage claims page.
- Get the form. Download the Damage Claim form from the claims page.
- Fill it in yourself and sign it. AES says the person filing the claim has to be the one who completes it.
- Attach your papers. For a claim over $50, add your sales receipts, estimates and invoices.
- Send it to the Claims Division. Email it to ipldamageclaims@aes.com. That's the address on the form, which still carries the old Indianapolis Power & Light name, and AES's claims page links to it too.
- Call with questions. The Claims Division's number is 317-261-8300.
Read the exact wording
"Download our Damage Claim form below. Please note: The form must be completed by the person filing the claim. For claims greater than $50, be sure to attach any supporting documents such as sales receipts, estimates and invoices to your form submission."
How long do you have?
Don't wait. AES's claims page gives no deadline, but the form it links to says to send it back "within two (2) weeks of mailing date." So send yours as soon as you can, and call the Claims Division at 317-261-8300 if you're past that.
If AES says no
AES says it weighs each claim case by case. So a no isn't sure until you file. If you still think AES got it wrong, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission's Consumer Affairs Division takes complaints about utilities at 1-800-851-4268. Its page lists things like billing, deposits and shutoffs, and it asks you to try the utility first. Its page says it takes most utility complaints, but some issues fall outside what the law lets it decide. Ask when you call.
How can you protect appliances from the next surge?
Unplug what you can, and add surge protection for the rest. AES's power quality page says to have a licensed electrician put a surge protector in at your electrical panel. It also says to use plug-in protectors for touchy gear, and its list names a fridge or freezer that has computer chips in it.
Read the exact wording
"To protect against voltage surges, have a licensed electrician install a panel surge protector inside your home at the electrical panel."
No gadget stops it all. The Electrical Safety Foundation International's surge sheet says no surge protector can handle a direct lightning strike. The best guard, it says, is to pull the plug when you think a surge is on the way.
When the power goes out, pull plugs then too. Ready.gov's power outage page says to turn off or unplug appliances, since power can come back with a spike that does damage.
Read the exact wording
"Turn off or disconnect appliances, equipment, or electronics. Power may return with momentary surges or spikes that can cause damage."