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Who Is Responsible for Maintaining Vegetation?
Answers to common questions about maintaining vegetation and trees on or near your property.
What is Eversource Responsible For?
We routinely assess and schedule maintenance tree work to clear branches, trees and other vegetation that cause outages or are public safety concerns.
We do not trim electric service lines to homes or businesses unless there is significant chafing or mechanical strain.These issues are an immediate threat to power reliability and can cause safety issues.
We also perform regular maintenance along high-voltage transmission corridors.
What Are Property Owners Responsible For?
As a property owner, you are responsible for regularly maintaining the trees on your property to prevent interference with the service line that runs from the utility pole to your home or business.
To complete this maintenance, contact a qualified tree professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about tree work on your property.
What's a service line?
Service lines are the electric wires that run from the utility pole to your home or business.
Will my power be shut off during scheduled maintenance?
Typically, power will not be shut off during scheduled maintenance, unless there is an unsafe condition that requires it. Power will be restored once the unsafe condition is cleared.
What happens to the wood and branches?
In Connecticut, contractors will remove all debris from planned tree work.
In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, contractors will not remove wood but will chip the branches after the work is complete.
During power restoration, unscheduled vegetation management or emergency situations, removal and disposal of any cut branches or trees on or near your property are your responsibility.
Can I keep the wood?
Yes, you can request to keep wood chips or cut wood resulting from any trimming on or near your property.
If you do, wood will be stacked in log lengths (usually greater than 12 feet) along the edge of the clearing limits within the right-of-way. If the clearing edge is in an environmentally sensitive area, we'll work with you to find an alternate stacking location.
To make a request, call:
- Connecticut: 800-286-2000
- Eastern Massachusetts: 800-592-2000
- Western Massachusetts: 877-659-6326
- New Hampshire: 800-662-7764
Who will remove the stump from my property?
If we need to cut down a tree on your property that poses a threat to reliability and safety, you are responsible for stump removal.