WHAT’S YOURS & WHAT’S OURS
Understanding Electric Equipment Responsibilities
As July rolls in with longer days 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 our community.
At JOEMC, we’re always ready to respond swiftly to outages and restore power safely. However, it’s also important for homeowners to understand which parts of the electric system are their responsibility and which are maintained by us at the co-op. Knowing these key differences can help speed up repairs and ensure everyone’s safety during storm recovery.
What JOEMC is responsible for:
We maintain and repair the equipment and lines that deliver power to your home, including:
• Utility poles
• Distribution power lines
• Electric meters
• Pole and Padmounted
transformers
• Any overhead/underground service lines running to the meter
What homeowners are responsible for:
As a JOEMC member, you’re responsible for the equipment between the electric meter and your home or business. This includes:
• The meter base & service panel
• Any lines running from the service panel into the structure
• The weatherhead and service mast located outside the home
If any of this homeowner-owned equipment is damaged, it’s essential to contact a licensed electrician for repairs. Only a qualified professional has the expertise to safely assess and fix this type of damage.
Please note: If your equipment is damaged, necessary repairs must be completed before JOEMC crews can safely restore power to your home or business. Understanding your responsibilities can help make the repair and restoration process faster and more efficient.
Tree Maintenance and Storm Preparation
We all take pride in the natural beauty of our community. But maintaining trees and vegetation is also vital for reliable electric service, especially during storm season. JOEMC regularly trims trees around power lines throughout our service area to reduce the risk of outages. If you notice a tree limb touching or obstructing a distribution line, please contact us so we can address the issue.
By working together to understand and maintain the equipment that powers our lives, we can all help ensure a faster and safer response when severe weather hits.
Have questions about your electric service or equipment? We’re here to help—contact us at 910-353-1940.
