To comply with the National Electric Safety Code, utilities must trim or remove trees growing near power lines, that threaten to disrupt service. Proper and regular tree trimming helps prevent the danger and inconvenience of outages.
Never attempt to trim trees near power lines yourself. Only qualified line clearance workers are allowed to work within a minimum of 10 feet of high voltage lines. Call KCP&L at 816 471-5275 to schedule an inspection of your tree and line situation.
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Responsibility for Trimming
- Pole-to-Pole: please report broken limbs or other immediate hazards on a pole-to-pole power line. The KCP&L Line Clearance staff will assess the situation and take the appropriate action to remove any danger and make repairs.
- Pole-to-Meter: this is the line that delivers electricity from KCP&L power poles to the meter on your house. These lines are normally under the owner's responsibility and not trimmed by KCP&L line clearance staff.
- Drop Service Request: in the event you (the owner/customer) need to have trees or limbs trimmed on pole-to-meter lines, simply contact KCP&L Customer Care Center and ask to drop the service wire on the pole-to-meter line so you or a contractor can safely remove the trees or limbs. This is done at no charge.
- Tree Removal: If you want to remove a tree that has limbs above a pole-to-pole line or hire a contractor to remove it, call (816) 471-KCPL (5275) or e-mail the KCP&L Call Center. A Call Center representative will arrange for KCP&L to inspect the line at no charge and determine whether we need to trim or remove the limbs so you can then have the tree safely removed. The homeowner is responsible for the debris removal.
- Debris Removal: KCP&L cleans up the debris from routine clearance. If there is enough wood, it's cut into pieces that will fit into a fireplace. If you don't want the firewood, call (816) 471-KCPL (5275) or e-mail KCP&L's Call Center to make arrangements to have the wood picked up. The homeowner is responsible for all other debris removal.
- Storm Work: KCP&L does not clean up storm-related brush, logs or fallen trees. During storm restoration, KCP&L performs a courtesy knock on the door to notify the customer we are on their property. Our immediate priority is to restore power to our customers. We will clear fallen trees and limbs away from company lines and other equipment to ensure public safety, restore service and prevent future power outages. However, all tree limbs and logs are left on site and crews will NOT be returning for clean up.
Under What Circumstances Will KCP&L Top a Tree?
We will only "top" (remove or cut the top of) a tree if it's necessary to maintain clearance between power lines and the top of the tree required by law. We avoid topping trees if at all possible because:
- Topped trees can regain their original height in as little as two years.
- Fast-growing sprouts spring from a topped tree in large numbers. These sprouts are very susceptible to breakage and storm damage.
When you're looking for a tree service, check the company's topping policy. If they recommend topping, consider checking with someone else to confirm it's absolutely necessary. Also, find out if the individual or company carries professional certification, particularly through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).
- Tree trimmers try to preserve as much of a tree's beauty as possible while providing enough clearance between limbs and lines to assure safe and reliable electric service.
- KCP&L tree crews follow arboriculture standards and utility safety standards when trimming a tree, and make the appropriate cuts for the appropriate tree. Crews generally visit neighborhoods once every four to five years and will make necessary cuts to ensure overall safety.
- Crew members will only remove a tree on your property when it poses a significant hazard to the power lines. To ensure safety, they may also trim dead, dying or split trees that are endangering a line.
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Choosing the Right Tree |
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For more electrical safety information, visit our Brochure Center. |
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