BACKGROUND: In December of 2022, immediately after we moved to our new (older) home here in Lake County we began to tackle the many necessary home repairs and improvements. The smelly 1980’s pet-stained carpet was torn out. The smoke stained walls were cleaned and repainted (most of them anyway). I had begun to replace the damaged or missing insulation in the attic and lower crawl space, and better weatherproof the home’s exterior, however, those and other much needed repairs have been on hold due to a lengthy and very poorly managed re-roof and solar installation and resulting medical expenses.

Kathie is now working 3 days a week at the Gibson Museum in Middletown, however, the minimal hourly wage barely covers gas for the 50 mile roundtrip, and it includes no benefits.

Last March (2023) we purchased (financed) a much needed new roof together with a robust solar system. Because our home is 100% electric, we knew that solar would help us to better manage our budget over the long-term. Understanding the NEM2 solar credits would all but wipe out our PG&E bill, we felt we could comfortably manage the fixed solar loan payment of about $475 a month. That was before the medical issues hit us.

UPDATE 3-27-24 – A SOLAR NIGHTMARE: The new solar system was supposed to be completed within 6 months, so we were told. The financing was contingent on the the installer meeting this deadline. Powur’s solar subcontractor first contacted us in May to schedule the solar installation. Had work actually started in May, the project would likely have been finished by July 1st. Powur would have met the lender's deadline and we would have been earning solar credits. Whoops! Powur forgot about the re-roof.

After 6 months, the Re-roof was finally completed in September (2023). Two weeks later, the solar installation work began. A few days later, due to errors on Powur's solar Plans, work was suddenly STOPPED. Following the sudden work stoppage, it took Powur an additional 5 months and 7 Plan Revisions to finally get their Plans right. After some wangling with the lender to maintain our financing, the project was finally completed and we received Permission To Operate (PTO) from PG&E in February – nearly a year after the Contract date. Ongoing tensions between us and Powur increased significantly during that time.

BRIGHTER DAYS AHEAD: I recently received our first PG&E bill that shows a full month of NEM2 solar benefit. Before CARE and CA Climate discounts, our Dec/Jan bill was $1,006.73. Our Feb/March bill is $5.75, and this is during the rainy season! But we’re still FAR from being out of the woods financially. We have NO investments left, NO insurance policies to borrow from or cash out, and less than $200 in savings. NOT GOOD!

BAD FAITH: After the project was completed, Powur requested copies of our PG&E bills then voluntarily offered a small refund. A few days later, BEFORE I had time to consider their offer, I was notified that Powur would be filing a Lien in 30 days. This seemed to show Bad Faith. It felt like a pressure tactic to accept their refund as presented. I replied with a well-documented counter offer with a one week reply by date but No response.

Did I mention that, among Powur's MANY mistakes, in October, shortly after putting the project on hold and months before work was completed, Powur issued a Final Invoice with the description “Progress Payment". They refused my request to correct the errors.

MEDICAL EXPENSES: Since contracting with Powur, my wife injured her back and had to be transported - twice. We both developed severe rashes, tension head and muscle aches, digestive issues, and other medical maladies. As a result, we've incurred substantial medical expenses for ambulance, ER and hospital stays, EEG’s, EKG's and other testing, not to mention prescriptions. We applied to the hospital for financial forgiveness and, per their instructions, we provided ALL the requested tax transcripts, medical expense history and income records. Still, they refuse to work with us - and they won’t say why. We’ve paid what we could but these expenses completely drained our savings, The unpaid balances totaling some thousands of dollars is now in collections.

HERE’S THE PROBLEM: Because the solar company failed to meet their commitments and continued to delay completion without any reasonable explanation, we now have a the medical debt, a solar loan payment AND, until this March, we were still paying PG&G upwards of $1,000 each month. Until the solar installation was complete and we received Permission to Operate (PTO) from PG&E, we couldn’t earn the anticipated NEM2 “solar credits”. This solar-related triple-hit on our finances, now compounded by Powur’s threat of a Lien, has and continues to caused unimaginable anxiety. What I've included here is a small fraction of the hundreds of troubling issues we've faced with Powur.

WHAT WE’RE DOING TO SURVIVE: Before Kathie started working, we had relied on low income program assistance for food. With Kathie's small income and my Social Security along with the small amount I've been able to earn since moving, we are just over the program limit for receiving assistance. That's now gone. We still receive low income program support from nearly every entity we rely on, from water and trash collection to phone and internet. And, all the remaining repairs to our home have been on hold since before last September.

A “CREATIVE" SOLUTION: We (I) would much rather “earn” a dollar. So, If you or a business owner you know may be in need of expert branding, marketing or advertising design or copywriting services, let’s talk. Or, if you’re familiar with my fine art and might consider a commission or purchase of a print or finished painting, PLEASE comment in your donation reply. To learn more, please visit BloomfieldGroup or BloomfieldFineArt.

A TOUGH PILL TO SWALLOW: Kathie and I are extremely embarrassed to STILL be in this position, and we're STILL scared. We humbly accept and sincerely appreciate every donation. Please share our story with your friends, family and business associates.

Most sincerely and with love,

George and Kathie