Nor’easter season is here, and on wooded Long Island streets a falling limb doesn’t just knock out power. It can rip the wires off the side of the house. When that happens, the repair is split between PSEG Long Island and you, and the order you make the calls in matters.
First: safety
- Stay away from any downed or sagging wire, and keep kids and pets away. Assume it’s live.
- Report it to PSEG Long Island (downed wires: 1-800-490-0075).
- Fire, smoke or a burning smell inside: leave and call 911.
Don’t try to push wires back, reattach anything, or run a generator through a dryer outlet while you wait.
Who owns what
| Part | Where it is | Who repairs it |
|---|---|---|
| Service drop | The wires from the pole to the top of your house | PSEG Long Island |
| Point of attachment / weatherhead | Where the drop connects to your service entrance cable (weatherhead plus an eyebolt) | Homeowner (licensed electrician) |
| Service entrance cable | From the weatherhead down to the meter | Homeowner (licensed electrician) |
| Meter pan (the box the meter plugs into) | Outside wall | Homeowner (licensed electrician) |
| Meter | In the meter pan | PSEG Long Island |
| Everything inside (panel, wiring) | In the house | Homeowner |
That split comes straight from PSEG Long Island’s equipment-responsibility guidance: the utility maintains the service drop and the meter, but not the meter pan or the attachment point and entrance cable on your side.
The repair sequence
- PSEG LI makes it safe. Crews de-energize or secure the drop and, where possible, make a temporary repair to customer-owned equipment so you get power back sooner.
- You hire a licensed electrician for the permanent repair of the weatherhead, entrance cable, mast or meter pan. If the entrance cable is damaged, PSEG LI won’t safely restore service until it’s repaired.
- Inspection. Permanent service work on Long Island is inspected by an approved third-party agency your town accepts, and PSEG LI relies on that certificate. (How it works: electrical permits and inspections.)
- Finalize with PSEG LI. Once the licensed electrician finishes, contact PSEG Long Island’s Business and Renovation Services group: BRSLI@psegliny.com (put the full property address in the subject line) or 1-844-341-6378, Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
What it costs, and insurance
The cost depends on what broke: re-securing an attachment point is a small job; replacing a bent mast, entrance cable and meter pan is closer to a partial service replacement, and if your service is old or undersized, it’s often the moment to upgrade to 200 amps instead of rebuilding a 100-amp service. Price ranges are in the panel upgrade cost guide.
Storm damage to your house’s equipment is often a homeowners-insurance claim, subject to your deductible. Before anything is removed, photograph the damage, the tree or limb, and the drop, and keep the electrician’s invoice and the inspection certificate.
Where this happens most on Long Island
Long overhead drops through mature trees are the risk factor: the wooded hamlets of Brookhaven (Ridge, Manorville, Middle Island), the hills of Huntington, and the North Shore of Oyster Bay. If outages are a pattern for you, a standby generator or a portable inlet and interlock is worth pricing before the next storm.
Quick checklist
- Report the downed drop to PSEG LI; stay clear
- Photos before anything is moved
- Licensed electrician for weatherhead, entrance cable, meter pan
- Agency inspection certificate
- Call or email PSEG LI Business and Renovation Services to finalize
- Insurance claim with photos, invoice and certificate
Need it done? See urgent & emergency electrical on Long Island. Local rules: Oyster Bay, Huntington, Brookhaven.