BALTIMORE (April 29, 2016) – This Arbor Day, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) is helping customers with their landscaping by providing free trees to customers through the Energy Saving Trees Program. Through a joint effort with the Arbor Day Foundation, BGE is providing free trees to customers to help them save energy and money.

When planted in the right place, trees can help reduce energy use through summer shading and slowing cold winter winds. Once trees are fully grown, they can lower energy costs by up to 20 percent, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. In addition, trees can increase property value, reduce your carbon footprint, improve air quality and more effectively catch storm water runoff. Customers can reserve one tree on a first-come, first-served basis through the Arbor Day Foundation’s interactive tool at www.arborday.org/bge. This tool helps customers identify the best tree for their property and also determine where to plant the tree to save energy and money. Once customers confirm their reservation, a 3-foot tall, lightly branched potted tree seedling will be shipped to their home within two to four weeks.

To ensure that these trees do not impact the safety and reliability of overhead and underground energy systems and the customers they serve, BGE provides these “Right Tree, Right Place” guidelines:

•  Do not plant trees on electric transmission or natural gas rights-of-way. 
• Do not plant trees near natural gas pipelines (marked by yellow markers), underground electric lines (marked by white or red markers) or their rights-of-way. 
• The Right Tree Right Place Guide lists acceptable trees for planting near utility equipment not located on rights-of-way or near pipelines and underground electric lines.
• If you wish to plant a tree not listed, make sure it is also suitable for planting near utility equipment.
•  We do not recommend planting trees and shrubs directly below power lines. However, if you choose to do so, select trees and shrubs that will grow to a maximum height of 25 feet. 
• Call Miss Utility at 811 at least three days before digging to ensure that the area is safe for planting. 
• Please contact BGE with any questions. 
• For more information, visit www.BGE.com/TreeCare/RightTree.

Through BGE’s involvement with the Arbor Day Foundation, close to 25,000 free trees have been provided to customers since 2013. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, these trees have helped:

• Avoid nearly 55,000 tons of carbon dioxide 
• Filter 611 million gallons of storm water 
• Save more than 41,000 megawatt hours of electricity 
• Save more than 1.8 million gas therms.

For more information on BGE’s Energy Saving Trees Program, visit www.arborday.org/BGE, or for more on the Right Tree, Right Place program, click here.

###