Understanding who owns and maintains different parts of the electric system can help improve safety, prevent delays, and avoid unnecessary repair costs.

BCREMC is responsible for the electric facilities that deliver power to your property, including utility poles, power lines, electric meters, and transformers.

Homeowners are responsible for the equipment that carries electricity from the meter to the home or business, including the meter base, service mast, weatherhead, and any underground service lines between the meter and the structure.

If homeowner-owned equipment is damaged, repairs must be made by a licensed electrician before BCREMC can reconnect service.

Damaging utility poles, power lines, transformers, or other cooperative-owned equipment can create serious safety hazards and cause outages. If cooperative-owned equipment is damaged, the responsible party may be billed for the labor and materials required to restore service.

Before starting any digging project, always contact Indiana 811 to have underground utilities located and marked. A quick call can help prevent damage to underground electric lines and keep everyone safe.

Trees are another important part of service reliability. BCREMC regularly trims trees and brush around distribution lines to help prevent outages. If you notice limbs growing into power lines, please contact BCREMC. Never trim trees near power lines yourself.

Vegetation around the service line running to your home is the homeowner’s responsibility. If trimming is needed, hire a qualified tree service. BCREMC can temporarily disconnect the line to complete the work safely.

Knowing who is responsible for what helps keep everyone safe and can prevent unnecessary outages, delays, and repair costs.