Home Utility Wires & Equipment: PECO versus Homeowner's Responsibility

Hurricane Sandy left many Philadelphians without power as she swept through the east coast last week. Her damaging winds loosened wires and even downed trees causing utility poles to collapse, which left many areas without power for several days. PECO reported that 850,000 customers experienced service problems due to the storm. 

Photo Source: Examiner.com (www.examiner.com/article/hurricane-sandy-put-philadelphia-s-landscape-out-on-a-limb)

 

 As PECO worked hard to repair the damaged fixtures and restore power to the area, homeowners should have been assessing their own home cables as well.

Many homeowners may be unaware of which cables, outside their home, is their responsibility to maintain. Due to the damages to power lines from hurricane Sandy, Generation 3 Electric wants to remind everyone exactly where their homeowner responsibility lies when it comes to their home’s utility wires.
 

What is PECO responsible for? 

The electric service wires from the pole up to the point where the main power line connects with the home power line at the weather head. And, ONLY the meter clock itself.

Diagram Source: National Grid (www.nationalgridus.com/niagaramohawk/storm/recover_responsibility.asp)

 

What is the homeowner responsible for? 

The electrical service entrance which includes:

    - Weatherhead

    - Electric service entrance cable

    - Meter base (not the clock)

Diagram Source: National Grid (www.nationalgridus.com/niagaramohawk/storm/recover_responsibility.asp)

These electrical service entrance utility components are the responsibility of the homeowner to maintain, not PECO. Be aware also, it is not unusual for PECO to disconnect power to a home if the electrical wiring is deemed dangerous. To avoid this scenario make sure to repair old or broken cables and wiring before PECO is called. Having any damage repaired sooner rather than later will save you a lot of hassle and money in the long run!