Rio Storm: How to Claim Appliance Compensation

What can you claim compensation for?

Under Brazil's Consumer Defense Code and ANEEL regulations, residents affected by the Rio de Janeiro windstorm on Wednesday (29) can seek reimbursement for appliances damaged by power outages or voltage fluctuations, as well as food and medicine lost due to lack of refrigeration.

How do you file a claim with the power company?

Contact your electricity distributor (such as Light) and register a formal claim. You will need to provide the date and approximate time of the outage, plus details about each damaged appliance — brand, model and approximate age.

Key steps before filing

• Do NOT repair or discard the damaged appliance before the distributor inspects it, unless you have written authorization.
• Keep all service protocols, receipts, technical reports and repair quotes.
• Consumers have up to five years to file a reimbursement claim.

What are the official deadlines?

Once you register your claim, the distributor must inspect refrigerators and freezers (used to store perishable food or medicine) within 1 business day, and all other appliances within 10 days. The company must then inform you of the result within 15 days if your claim is filed in the first 90 days after the damage, or within 30 days in other cases. If approved, payment, repair or replacement must happen within 20 days.

What if the company refuses or ignores your claim?

Consumers who face difficulties exercising their rights can contact the Procon-RJ or the State Consumer Defense Secretariat (Sedcon) through official service channels to file a complaint and receive guidance.

What happened in Rio?

Winds exceeding 105 km/h hit Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday (29), leaving approximately 1.1 million customers without power on the first day. By the third day, nearly 40,000 Light customers were still without electricity.