Simi Valley Home Owner Tip – Power Lines & Tree Trimming
Who is responsible for trimming the trees near power lines? What should you worry about?
The service lines that come from the pole to your home will be maintained by Southern California Edison; however bushes, plants and trees that interfere with those lines are the responsibility of the home owner.
What many home owners do not realize is that Edison will come and disconnect your service for FREE in the morning, so you can have trees trimmed or removed and then come back later in the day and hook you back up for FREE. You will bear the cost of the tree trimming or removal, however many home owners mistakenly think there is a charge to have your service disconnected and try to have vegetation removed which can cause serious damage to your home if debris falls on or comes in contact with the service lines. The weather head on your roof can be damaged and you would need to get an electrician out to fix it before Edison could restore your service.
The side benefit to all this is that in the case of my home the service lines were damaged by the trees and squirrels over the years and were in need of replacement. While my service was dropped out for the tree removal, Edison came replaced the lines – new. I was disconnected from the grid at 8:30 am and back online after the tree was removed at 12:30 pm.
A few ways to avoid all this as a home owner is
- Know your vegetation. The tree in my yard planted by the prior owner was planted in the wrong place and was too big a tree for my yard. Consult with an arborist before planting trees.
- Trees need regular pruning and trimming and cannot be allowed to grow on their own. Consider the regular maintenance costs for large trees.
- Always call Edison first before doing any home improvement near the service line for advise on how to proceed and how Edison may help you.
[…] Most home owners do not understand that when they plant a tree in their yard, that will need to be pruned and maintained every few years. If not, they will overgrow and create far more costlier problems than the cost to prune and maintain the trees. See this example of how a poorly placed and improper species planting in my yard by the previous owner created a big time maintenance issue. Trees and Overhead Power Lines […]