Your safety is our priority. Following these tips will help keep you safe around electricity and natural gas.
We rely on electricity for everything from lighting our homes to powering our electronics. While it's easy to take it for granted, keep in mind it can be dangerous.
Electricity seeks every available path to the ground through conductors. Good conductors include metal, wet wood and water. Your body is 70% water, making it a very good conductor of current. So, if you're grounded and touching an energized wire, electricity will pass through you to the ground. A small amount of current can be fatal. It can also cause serious falls, burns, cuts or internal bleeding.
While most electric safety rules are common sense, it's easy to get careless—especially if you're in a hurry. Be sure to follow these tips when dealing with electricity.
Natural Gas Safety
We use natural gas to heat our homes and power appliances. The underground pipes are designed to keep it safely contained. If it leaks, however, it creates a dangerous situation. A flame or spark near a gas leak could cause a fire or explosion.
To help keep you safe, MGE adds a rotten egg odor to the gas we deliver to you. This helps you detect leaks in your home or neighborhood. In addition to the smell, other warning signs of a leak include:
- A hissing sound near a gas appliance, pipeline or meter.
- Unexplained dead vegetation.
- A white cloud, mist, fog or bubbles in standing water.
If you suspect a gas leak, leave the area or building immediately. DO NOT try to find the leak, light a match or touch anything electrical such as a cell phone, lights, appliances, etc. Instead, call MGE's 24-hour emergency response line at (608) 252-1111 and warn others to stay away. Learn more about natural gas safety and share this information with your family.
Beware of utility scams! MGE customers have reported fraudulent activity that is constantly evolving in the form of phone calls, text messages or in-person contact from impostors claiming to work for MGE.
Protect yourself and those around you by recognizing the signs of impostors.