I own a business in Bethlehem, PA, that has been forced to shut down because of a power outage. Am I covered for these losses?

If a storm hits the Lehigh Valley and causes a power outage, your focus should be on simply staying safe until the bad weather passes. Of course, lost revenue could negatively affect your business and even your ability to pay your personal bills. But with the proper insurance coverage, you can put these concerns out of your mind and pass the time as pleasantly as possible until your power is working again.

Commercial insurance is intended to protect businesses from property damage and other losses, much as homeowners’ insurance protects individual homes. If your Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, business is forced to shut down due to a power outage, you’ll worry about how you are going to cover the loss of business during this time. One possibility is that your commercial insurance will cover those losses. However, it isn’t safe to assume that it will. Talking to your independent agent and developing a commercial insurance plan with the appropriate types and amounts of coverage before a power outage occurs is the best way to make sure that you don’t suffer from lost revenue.

Utility interruption coverage falls under your business interruption coverage. It covers the loss of revenue you experience from not being able to operate your business for a period of time. However, business owners should keep in mind that, depending on their policy details, they may be without power for up to three days before their utility interruption coverage kicks in. Physical damages that occur from the power outage, however, fall under property damage coverage. Discuss both utility interruption coverage and utility services direct damage coverage with your independent insurance agent to make sure you have all the coverage you need before the next blackout or downed power line occurs.