WASHINGTON – Pepco and BGE are offering their customers free trees and advice on where to plant them.
Trees can help homeowners cut down on energy bills and certain types of trees are less likely to cause power outages. BGE’s Rob Gould says the types of trees offered through the program have been selected because they are less likely to grow into power lines.
“Even during just typical summer storms, most of our power outages occur as a result of trees that are on private land that take down our lines and poles,” Gould says.
Once the trees grow in, the shade they will offer should mean less work for air conditioners during hot summer months. That could reduce electric bills for many customers by a few dollars each month.
The two power companies are working on the project with the Arbor Day Foundation. An interactive map on the program’s site shows the best places to plant trees around a home to get the biggest energy savings, and explains how many and which types of trees are still available through this year’s program.
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