Who Owns What? Understanding Electric Equipment Responsibilities
By: Brad Castor, President/CEO
As July rolls in with extended daylight and rising temperatures, it also brings the increased potential for severe weather. Summer storms can arrive quickly and hit hard, sometimes causing significant damage to essential electric equipment throughout.
Rich Mountain Electric is prepared to respond swiftly to outages and restore power safely, but it is also important for homeowners to understand which parts of the electric system are their responsibility and which are maintained by the cooperative. Understanding these key differences can help speed up repairs and ensure everyone stays safe.
Your electric cooperative is responsible for maintaining and repairing the equipment and lines that run to your home, including utility poles, distribution power lines, electric meters and padmounted transformers.
Members are responsible for the equipment located between the electric meter and your home or business. Members are also responsible for the weatherhead and service mast located outside the home.
If any equipment that you (the homeowner) are responsible for is damaged, please call a licensed electrician to conduct the repairs. A professional has the experience and know-how to assess and manage these types of repairs.
When severe weather damages electrical equipment, it’s important to note that any necessary repairs to the homeowner’s equipment must be completed before our crews restore power to your home or business. By understanding the equipment you are responsible for, the repair and restoration process will be smoother and faster.
Regular trimming is essential to ensure reliable electric service and minimize damage from severe weather. We regularly trim trees and vegetation throughout our service territory to improve service reliability. If you spot a tree limb that is obstructing a distribution power line please report it by calling (479) 394-4140.
Any overgrown limbs or vegetation around the service line are the homeowner’s responsibility, and in these cases, please call a professional tree trimming service to assist.
By working together to understand the essential equipment that powers daily life, we can all be better prepared to start the repair and restoration process if severe weather impacts our community.
