Electrical Safety

Serving our customers extends beyond reliable and affordable electricity. It includes taking steps to ensure your safety. Electricity is an important vital commodity and hard to do without, but it cannot be taken for granted. Electricity is very powerful and can be extremely dangerous, and it must be treated with caution and respect. With this in mind, we want you to be familiar with how power arrives at your home so that you can avoid potential hazards and respond safely in the unlikely event of a power-related emergency.

DES receives electricity at our substations from TVA via transmission lines and towers. The substations supply power to both overhead and underground distribution lines that com­prise the primary and secondary systems located along streets and in neighborhoods. Power is carried through these lines to individual service lines that empower businesses and homes.

Please practice safety precautions, and share the following tips with your family.

Stay Safe in Every Room

  • Never put anything but an electrical plug into a wall socket.
  • Don’t overload the socket — one socket, one plug.
  • Never pull a plug out by the cord.
  • Make sure there are no holes or breaks in extension cords.
  • Never put extension cords under carpets or rugs.
  • Put plastic covers on unused outlets to protect small children.
  • Dry your hands before using any electrical appliance, switch, or plug.

Stay Safe Inside Your Home

  • Keep the area around appliances clean.
  • Never use an appliance in the bathtub or shower.
  • Never use your oven or stove to heat your home.
  • Install at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home and in the garage.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen.
  • Follow a space heater’s instructions carefully and use only when an adult is a home.
  • Devise a fire escape plan and make sure everyone in your household knows it.

Stay Safe Outside Your Home

  • Leave power lines, meters, and electrical boxes alone.
  • Never climb trees near power lines.
  • Never fly kites, toy airplanes, or balloons near overhead power lines.
  • Never touch overhead power lines with a stick, ladder, antenna or anything else.
  • Never approach a downed power line.

Stay Safe in Your Neighborhood

  • Stay away from substations and utility poles.
  • Never enter a substation — they are fenced in for a reason.
  • Never climb utility poles.

Stay Safe During a Storm

  • Get inside during thunderstorms.
  • Never stand under a tree during thunderstorms.
  • Don’t use the phone or take a bath or shower during a thunderstorm.
  • Never approach a downed power line. To report a downed power line, call (615) 446-9051.

Stay Safe While Traveling

  • If you come across a car that’s hit a utility pole, stay away; it may have a downed power line on it.
  • If you are inside a car that has a downed line on it, call 911 and stay put until help arrives.
  • If you have to leave the car, never touch it and the ground at the same time.
  • Never touch a downed power line, even if you don’t see sparks. Always assume a power line is live.
  • If someone is touching a downed power line, stay away from them.