A few months ago we had a power surge at the ranch and it blew up quite a few items.Oven,TV Aircons etc. It was a nice Tv cost quite a bit. Likewise ducted AC and hotwater system. I made a claim (sent in some of the initial quotes)to the power company and got very vague replies. Woud'nt admit liability. Even if it was there fault they would only pay a small per centage etc etc. Everytime I called it was like calling for the first time. Pathetic.Never heard from them again (Like the folk in Toodjay).
I then made a claim to my insurance complany and they were excellent.All covered under "fusion". I got everything repaired and they paid out. I paid the contractors. Sorted. At no time did i mention any dealings with the electricity company to the insurance company.
Then......
Got a cheque for 3k in the mail yesterday from power company. Apologies about the delay etc. Been terribly busy they mentioned.And said if I sent in the other receipts they would pay a similar per centage towards them too.
I'm torn.
I know its wrong. But its like free money!!!! Its a nameless faceless organisation and they did give me (small) run around!! Those power bill hikes too..
Should I commit grand fraud???
You did not intend to commit any such fraud and genuinely contacted them seperately.
You are in the process of contacting the Elec company.. but it may take you some time.. and it may slip your mind.. say.. forever.
Go buy a solar system with the money and (if they ask) tell them you are giving it back - 1kW at a time.
Get Funky said
Personally, I wouldnt do it.
How do you know the power company hasn't claimed through its own corporate insurance policy in relation to your claim? They are bound to have such insurance, for things like this.
All it takes then is for your insurer to share information with their insurer (maybe there are the same group) and if they have any kind of basic fraud detection software, then it would surely be designed to spot double payments by matching claim dates & amounts.
Worst case sceneario you then end up getting prosecuted for insurance fraud (soft fraud).
I worked on a fraud detection system for telcos in another life.... Funny the things we progammed the system to look for. Quite sure the insurance field is no different...
Your choice though....Sleep well 
I'm torn one side of me says fk it take the cash
another says you'll get caught.
Maybe keep the cheque - don't cash it for 6 months.
If you hear nothing in that time - then cash it in.
Electric company ****s.
Write them a letter saying you've got their dough and can they please contact you to get it back. Give them your phone number and tell them to call you. When they call, put them on hold with some patronising and and annoying music and leave them. Keep doing this whenever they ring. After a couple of months send them an official sounding letter to the effect of you being sick of hanging onto their dough and can they please contact you to get it back. Advise them of the $25.00 admin fee you've had to deduct for this letter. Continue until balance is zero.
They'd do the same to you.
I was going to suggest putting in a separate account and use it to pay your insurance forever. (giving it back to them not keeping it)
but those other ideas are better aren't they.
You should at least be feel entitled to keep the excess, and think of any thing that the electricity company could be compensating you for that the insurance company didn't cover.
Ok a true story...
When I was young and very naiive...I ran up a huge mobile phone bill through roaming charges. Something like a whole months salary. Was in debt with credit cards at the same time.
The SIM card wasn't mine (long story) ... but they had no way of tracing it directly to me.
So I just didn't pay. For a long time.
Eventually, I had some phone calls to my landline, asking if I was the owner of mobile number xxxxx ...I claimed ignorance.
Next, I received an email, from the phone company saying they had traced me through call records, and were investigating me for fraud, the police had been contacted, and that I should expect a visit in the next few days!
Absolutely **** myself......the embarrassment, court dates...work would find out...loose my job....etc etc. Immediately paid up in full in the hope that things hadn't gone too far.
So what happened? Well...turns out the email, was a complete fake. My best mate had somehow s****fed an unsecure email server, with a false return address, and made up the whole police investigation thing, as some kind of sick and twisted prank!
Got me hook line and sinker! Halarious for my pal. Massive relieve for me.
I never tried to commit any kind of fraud since then, deliberately, or otherwise 
Some good replies but seriously can you afford to pay back 3K if they come knocking?
Worse still what was the payout amount from the insurance company and is there a chance they'll come knocking?
Whatever the case, it's grey until you ask both sides. It sucks but with all the cross refrencing databases being put in place, it is only a matter of time.
Mind you this could be purely legit and you could benefit from both sides... take life insurance: you have 3 superfunds with life insurance against each one for 1.50 per week. You die and payout is still from each insurance company, not just one.
Same caveat as stated before: I am not a lawyer and these are my thoughts only.
There should be one rule only. Whatever the possible outcome can you afford to pay at that time? Not forgetting interest charges etc etc etc...
Do the right thing...pay it back, just because they are dodgy money-grabbers, doesn't mean you have to become one - you're better than them. The fact is...you got everything replaced, you've got to be happy with that. Your insurance company looked after you, so why ruin the good feeling?
You'll sleep better knowing that your conscience is clear...karma's a bitch!
O.K so far I make it 7 replies for keep it and 6 for give it back.
I dont think I can "sit " on the check and cash it in 6 months. I think they cancel them fairly quickly if not cashed in.
Likewise Keeping the excess. I dont think they would leave it be if I said I have been paid out by my insurance co. and am making some additional deductions to cover what I see fit.
Its all or nothing.
I know i am setting myself up for some crank Western Power emails too !!
Guards Up
Karmas a bitch as we all know and I am putting my arse in the Karma catapult if I proceed but maybe I can donate some of my ill gottens to Pakistan or Christchurch and balance the ledger. If "discovered" pay it back immediately and apologise profusely. Then my loss gain for donating ?????
I need to consult a holy man .......DJ DoJo where are you??
i say give it back.... nothing better than a stress free sleep...
(and also to make it harder for you, as now you got 7/7)
7 is a holy number also... which further reinforces the point...
i'm not sure if dojo reads this (dark) side of the forum... never saw him comment here before... may need to PM him direct
Keep it,
western power will be just fine without it,
Dont worry about karma, ist just working in your favour.. which I know.. is hard to fathom some times.
those guys can cause alot more than 3gs damage which luckily youv managed to recoup privatley!!!
I think you'd find the power company is not that silly - there will be a declaration on your claim form saying "I certify I have not claimed, or am unable to claim, from any other insurance provider / source for this damage" or similar - surely?
Keep it but don't whinge about your insurance premium - it is higher if people claim when they don't have to - or the fact al our power bills went up by about $200 this year. My current one is $600 so thanks to all those who said "keep it".
you should pay it back.
If you behave like a power company then you're not entitled to bitch about one (or a telco, bank etc)
Who you should pay it back to is interesting though...?
Your insurer provided you cover in good faith and functions in more of a mutual pool than the power company... so morally you should refund the cash to the insurer.
Legally, I don't know who has the first claim to the cash.
before cashing the cheque , I would check with the insurance company, I suspect that the compensation from the power supplier , and the payment from the insurance company might not clash. you can only ask, that doesnt cost more than a phone call
I think the money belongs to the insurance company. In the same way as if someone runs into my car on the road. I claim on my insurance company and they fix my car. They then hit the other dude (or his insurance company) for compensation. All further headaches (legals, courts, whatever sh!t happens) is between the other dud and my insurance company. It's their problem.
So your 3 smackers should have gone to the insurance company. And they WILL come after it if they find out you got it. Which they likely will since you can bet they'd be contacting the power company.
But you probably don't need to give it to them until they ask for it.
