To help protect yourself and those around you, it’s important to understand how to use electricity and the electric equipment safely. Being smart about electricity usage and maintaining the equipment in your home, business and community can help keep you, your loved ones and your neighbors safe against serious and sometimes fatal injury.

Take a moment to review our safety tips, from how to prepare for a power outage to reporting wires down. 

Roadway Safety

For the safety of our crews, as well as your own and other motorists, please drive slowly when you see any utility work warning signs, flashing lights from bucket trucks, or workers on or near roadways. Consider the following tips as you approach such areas:

• Follow the directions given by warning signs, traffic flaggers or law enforcement.
• Reduce speed as you approach and travel through a work area. It’s not only common sense, it’s the law.
• Respect and give distance for traffic cones and other control devices. Often, these are the only items standing between our crews and your vehicle.
• Do not allow distractions take your eyes off the roadway as you travel through the work area.
• Know that the safety of Unitil’s crews depend on your care and understanding.

Your Safety Responsibility

It’s important for you to know how electricity is delivered to your home or business—especially during storms and emergencies. It’s important to be aware of your responsibilities for maintaining or repairing certain portions of the service.

Call DigSafe® at 811 Before You Dig

Don't forget to include protecting the underground utilities in the planning of your excavation or yard work. Call DigSafe® at 811 at least three working days before you dig.

Home Safety

Keep your family and friends safe when working in and around your home's electrical equipment.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide is a silent, odorless gas that gives no warning of its presence. Beware of the signs:  nausea, cherry red lips, headaches; get fresh air and seek immediate medical attention.

Clear Ice & Snow from Meters and Vents

Winter weather can cause damage to your utility equipment. Use a broom to keep meters, vents and pipes free of ice and snow during the winter. By installing protection above your meter you can prevent ice buildup on the meter and metering equipment.

Downed Power Lines

When live power lines fall, they can be very dangerous. Here are tips for keeping you and your loved ones safe in the event that you encounter a downed line.

Holiday Lighting Safety

The holidays wouldn’t be the same without the sparkle of lights inside and out. But decking the halls for the festivities can pose some unique dangers. Before you plug in, keep a few safety tips in mind.

Summer Storm Safety

When the sun is out, you may not be thinking about storms, but it’s important to help guard against any danger lighting or wind may cause. Here are some helpful tips to help you prepare for a summer storm.

Winter Storm Safety

Advance preparation can go a long way in managing the inconvenience of an outage after a storm has passed. The following tips offer advice on “weathering” a New England storm and its aftermath.