Bringing electricity into a customer's home can be described as a "team effort." Duquesne Light Company (DLC) is responsible for some of the equipment while the customer must take care of repairs and upkeep for other parts.
Aboveground Electric Service
Basically, DLC maintains the wire that delivers electricity from the utility pole on your street to your home and the meter that measures your power usage. The accompanying illustration shows the electrical system for a typical home, and how responsibility for that equipment is shared between Duquesne Light and the customer.
It is also important to note that while DLC maintains the service-drop wire, the customer is responsible for having any vines or tree branches pruned or removed from the service-drop area that may interfere with your electric service.
For your personal safety and the safety of those you may hire, qualified line clearance tree professionals must be used to remove any vegetation around energized wires.
1. Service Drop - While DLC maintains the service-drop wire, you are responsible for pruning or removing any tree branches or vegetation that may interfere with your electric service.
2. Point of Attachment - We provide the anchor - known as a "one point" - that attaches the service drop to the home.
3. Weatherhead and Service Entrance Cable - You are responsible for the weatherhead and the wire that runs along the outside of your home into the meter, as well as from the meter to your service panel or fuse box. The weatherhead protects the service entrance cable from weather conditions..
4. Meter Base - The metal box that houses the meter is the customer's responsibility.
5. Meter - DLC owns and maintains the meter.
6. Service Panel or Fuse Box - You are responsible for the box, the circuit breaker or fuses, and all of the wiring inside the home.
Please Note:
A licensed electrician should perform any repairs or upgrades to your home's electrical system. A qualified line-clearance professional should be used for tree work, especially if any part of a tree is within 10 feet of your service-drop wire.
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For a list of scenarios that require a wiring approval from a certified electrical inspector, click here.
Underground Electric Service
In neighborhoods where power cables are buried underground, pad-mounted transformers are a key part of the system that delivers electricity to homes. Housed in locked steel cabinets, these pad-mounted transformers serve the same purpose as transformers located near the top of utility poles. They reduce voltage from higher levels to lower voltages used in homes for electronics, appliances and lighting.
1. Pad Mounted Transformer - DLC owns and maintains this equipment. Each of these transformers provides electricity to one or more homes.
2a. Cable Inside Conduit - DLC owns and maintains the cable that runs from the transformer to the meter base.
2b. Conduit - The customer owns and maintains the conduit.
3. Meter Base - The metal box that houses the meter is your responsibility to maintain
and repair as needed.
4. Meter - DLC owns and maintains the meter.
5. Service Panel or Fuse Box - You are responsible for the box, the circuit breaker or fuses, and all of the wiring inside the home.