Always Call Before You Dig
Building a deck? Planting a tree? Installing a mailbox? 811 is the new number you should call before you begin any digging project. A federally-mandated national "Call Before You Dig" number, 811 was created to help protect you from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while working on digging projects. Know what's below. Always call 811 before you dig. Visit www.call811.com for more information or call 1-800-257-7777. Or, you can also visit our page about Miss Utililty for more information.
Utility Easements
To help ensure the safety of the communities we serve, the land around gas and electric facilities (utility easements) must be kept clear at all times. An easement is the right held by BGE to control the use of land near electric and gas facilities. Utility easements or "right-of-way" is necessary to safely maintain and operate electric and gas facilities. Unsure if a utility easement is on the property? Put safety first and contact BGE before you encroach upon an easement. Here are some tips to keep in mind before you build or encroach on a utility easement:
- Before beginning the construction process, please check the land rights to ensure that there are no underlying easements or reservations pertaining to
- BGE's electric and/or gas service or tree rights.
- Keep utility easements clear. This helps BGE to perform emergency service and routine maintenance.
- Before building or planting, you should know where all easements are located and what restrictions are associated with them.
BGE's Tree Trimming Program Enhances Reliability
At BGE we employ the most up-to-date technology to bring customers safe and reliable power. We allocate resources each year to prevent outages from happening and to shorten their duration if they do occur. We have dedicated tree trimming experts to help provide dependable, uninterrupted power. To minimize outages due to fallen trees and branches, BGE trims along its entire 9,400-mile system every three to four years in a scheduled maintenance program. We target branches that overhang power lines and remove branches that are likely to break or interfere with the reliability of our system. We remove hazardous tree branches and generally trim adjacent to and beneath electric lines. If trees on your property are identified as part of our maintenance schedule, we will notify you before any scheduled work begins. Visit our page on Tree Care for more information.
Respect the Cone Zone
- Slow down - when you see signs about a road crew or see the cones set up
- Focus on the situation
- Follow the directions (by people, cones or signs)
