SRP Urges Community to Keep Mylar Balloons Away from Power Lines During Graduation Celebrations

In the midst of celebrating our graduates, it’s tempting to let those shiny Mylar balloons go and watch them fly off into the sky. While it may be a great way to celebrate, Mylar balloons can be a hazard when they land on power lines. The metallic material that gives them that shine is also what makes them energy conductors.

When they touch a power line or hit equipment at a substation, they can result in a power outage for both residential and commercial customers. Besides an outage, they can also cause a fire, property damage or serious injuries.

“While we are celebrating with our loved ones, we don’t want to cause damage to power lines or power outages for our neighbors,” said SRP Director of Customer Strategy Steve Lopez. “Mylar balloons are great – just remember to keep them tethered and dispose of them properly.”

Mylar balloons get caught up in SRP’s high-voltage system on average about four times a month resulting in outages that impact tens of thousands of customers a year.

Follow these tips if you purchase Mylar balloons:

·         Keep them tethered at all times and attached to a weight.

·         Use regular string or ribbon. Avoid using shiny, Mylar string.

·         Make sure no helium is left inside before disposing of them.

·         Never try to retrieve a balloon from an overhead power line and never touch power lines. Instead, call SRP Residential Customer Services at (602) 236-8888 to notify us of an object you see caught in a power line. We will safely remove it.

·         Keep people, equipment or other belongings at least 10 feet away from power lines.