Hey, Consumers Energy! At some point all this snow is going to melt and start sliding off my roof. What happens if it damages my electric lines and I lose power in the process? Will you come out to fix the issue and restore the power?

That’s a great question and the answer is…it depends. But let’s start by highlighting a couple risks that snow and ice can cause to your home and your safety in hopes you can mitigate some potential problems!   

Ice Dams – We know those icicles hanging from your house are pretty, but they can also be an indication of potentially problematic (insert scary music here) …ice dam! Since ice dams can cause damage to your roof and removing them can be difficult, the key is to prevent them from happening. Got more information about preventing or removing ice dams here: https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/how-to-prevent-ice-dams/

Clear Meters and Vents – Snow covered meters, vents and exhaust pipes can put the safety of your home and family at risk. Clearing off the snow will ensure the meter continues to function properly while not causing potentially life-threatening risks like carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure to clear the snow using a brush or broom so the meter isn’t damaged.

Now, sometimes even the best preparation efforts aren’t a match for Mother Nature and the electric service lines can be damaged. If that is the case, you can use the following information to determine if the utility is responsible for the repair of if you’ll need to call an electrician.

Customer Owned

If damage occurs to the following, the customer is responsible for having a licensed electrician make the necessary repairs before calling us to restore power:

  • Point of attachment: anything that anchors the service drop to your house or building
  • Service entrance cable/pipe: your wire, or pipe that carries the wire, running along the outside of your building to our meter and from the meter to your service panel or fuse box.
  • Service panel or fuse box: including your circuit breakers or fuses and all wiring in your building.

Consumers Energy owns, maintains and repairs:

  • Service Drop – our wire that delivers electricity to your building
  • Attachment device – used to secure our wire to your mast or other point of attachment.
  • Connectors – used to make the connection between our wire and your wire
  • Meter – our device that measures your energy use
  • Meter base/socket – our metal box that houses the meter (customer is responsible for installation.)

To report damages to our system or for any questions, call us at 800-477-5050.