A power surge is a split-second increase or spike of electrical energy that can affect your home appliances, electronics and even your home's entire electrical system.
Electric surges can be caused by anything from a snapped power line, wind or ice storm, plugging in a new electronic or even faulty wiring.
Small surges happen every day when equipment like furnaces, air conditioners and refrigerators cycle on and off or a new electronic device is plugged in. Small power surges are largely unnoticeable, but they can wear away at your equipment and appliances over time, reducing their lifespan.
More dramatic surges can damage electronics and major appliances in an instant. A large power surge that takes out your electrical system can leave you inconvenienced and with unexpected expenses.
Surges of electrical power are a leading cause of electrical equipment failure. Modern appliances and electronics are smaller, faster and more sophisticated, making them highly susceptible to power surge damage.
DTE installs Utility Distribution Surge Arresters throughout the distribution system on lines that bring the electricity to your home to help ensure electricity is transmitted in a steady flow.
However, there are many causes of electrical surges outside of DTE’s control, ranging from lightning strikes to a car accidentally hitting a utility pole and even plugging-in and turning on large appliances within your home.
So, it’s best to have your home protected by using power strips and enrolling in one of our Surge Protection plans.
DTE residential customers with an account in good standing are eligible to enroll in a Surge Protection Plan. The plans are specific to a single service address (also called the metered residence).
Enrollment is easy. You can call the Surge Protection hotline at (833) 452-0224.
Your coverage in each of the three Essential Coverage Plans begins 15 days after your enrollment is completed.
Each of the three surge protection device plans (Surge Protection, Whole Home Surge Protection and Surge Protection Plus) begin 15 days after the surge protection device is installed on your electric meter.
The Surge Protection Plans offer convenient billing by including the fee in your monthly DTE utility billing statement.
Safety strips provide a good basic layer of surge protection for your electronics. To provide the most protection, we recommend a “layered,” meter-based surge protection system that includes whole home surge protection. You’ll also protect appliances, which are often not easily plugged into safety strips.
There is a one-year commitment to the program. If at any time you are unsatisfied with the program, please contact us so we can make things right.
The online claim form is convenient, providing required information and directions. You can also call the Surge Protection hotline at (833) 452-0224 or email surgeprotection@dteenergy.com to begin your claim. You will be assisted by a claim concierge who will send you a claim form to fill out with details describing surge damages to your appliances and/or electronics.
Please make sure that you get a written diagnosis and repair estimate by a qualified service company.
Wall outlets and switches, electrical system components (meter box), electric wells, security/alarm systems, portable generators, outdoor lighting and electric vehicle chargers are not covered under Surge Protection warranty plans.
Payments are always applied to your monthly utility charges first and surge protection program last. Please note that your account must be paid up to date for you to receive surge protection coverage.
DTE offers three Essential Coverage Plans that will reimburse you for repair or replacement of your covered electronics and/or appliances damaged by power surges.
Electronics Surge Coverage:
Appliance Surge Coverage:
Premium Surge Coverage:
Surge damage to your major electronics may not be covered by your landlord or renters’ insurance. It is normally your responsibility to repair or replace your personal electronics, such as TVs, computers, tablets and gaming systems.
With Meter-Based plans (Surge Protection, Whole Home Surge Protection, Surge Protection Plus), DTE installs a device at your meter that helps prevent power surges from entering your home. These plans offer preventative protection AND financial coverage if your covered household equipment is damaged by a power surge.
Essential Coverage (or “Deviceless”) plans (Electronics Surge Coverage, Appliance Surge Coverage, Premium Surge Coverage) don’t include a device installed to prevent power surges from entering your home. Those plans offer reactive power surge coverage, reimbursing you if your covered equipment is damaged by a power surge.
DTE offers three surge protection plans in which a surge protection device is installed outside at your electric meter to prevent power surges from entering your home.
These plans come with free replacements for the surge protector if it wears out.
Think of a whole home surge protector as a filter. The device is installed outside at your electric meter, letting in the electricity that your home needs and blocking harmful, temporary power surges before they can even enter your home and cause damage.
DTE’s meter-based surge protector is the best protection option because it’s installed outside, directly behind the electric meter. The meter-based surge protector includes larger surge elements than most surge protectors, allowing it to handle more surge energy than most devices that can be purchased at a store.
An electrician can install a hard-wire surge protector at your home’s electric panel, but that device responds only after the surge arrives at the panel. It attempts to capture the surge, turn it around and send it back out to earth ground.* Because more of the surge “gets through” to the panel with a device purchased in a store, appliances and electronics are at a much greater risk of damage.
* Earth grounding provides a safe and stable path for excess electricity to escape.
Under Surge Protection, major appliances like refrigerators, clothes washers/dryers, dishwashers, freezers, furnaces, air conditioners and other appliances (also known as “white appliances”) are covered under warranty up to $5,000 per instance. Though your electronic devices such as TVs, computers and gaming systems will be protected, they are not covered under the replacement warranty.
Under Whole Home Protection, major appliances like refrigerators, clothes washers/dryers, dishwashers, freezers, furnaces, air conditioners and other appliances (also known as “white appliances”) are covered under warranty up to $5,000 per instance. Your major electronic devices such as TVs, computers, printers, tablets, and gaming systems are covered under warranty up to $1,000 per instance.
A DTE technician will install the surge protection device outside at your electric meter. There are no appointments or permits necessary and installation typically takes less than 20 minutes. You should plan for a brief interruption of service to allow for device installation.
Please ensure there are no obstructions to your electric meter, such as locked gates or unattended pets.
There is a one-year commitment to the program. If at any time you are unsatisfied with the program, please contact us so we can make things right. If you cancel within the first 12 months of enrollment, an additional fee for removal of the surge protection device will be assessed.
Check your Surge Protection unit, which is located directly behind your electric meter. A red light on the right side of the unit (located at the 3 o’clock position) means it’s working. If the light is off, the unit needs to be serviced.
If you believe the device is not working properly, please call us at (833) 452-0224 to have your unit investigated.
No. The meter based surge protector rarely fails, but if it does, normal power will continue to serve your home.
Nothing can protect your home from a direct lightning strike, but the odds of a direct strike are very rare (less than 5% of surge related damage claims). Most lightning damage occurs from nearby lightning strikes that can send surges into your home through cable, phone or electrical lines. The DTE home surge protection program is designed to handle nearby but not direct lightning strikes.
The surge protector does not protect against any brown outs or “oneleg incidents” (sustained low power issues). The Surge protector, on the other hand, activates and protects during a brief spike in power.
Power surges occur for a variety of reasons, many of which are out of our control. To install and maintain a surge protection device for every customer would increase DTE’s operating costs, in turn increasing the electric rates for every customer. Instead, we offer surge protection as an affordable, optional service for those customers who choose it.
You may also be interested in reviewing “What is DTE doing to protect me from power surges?”
In all three plans, a surge protection device is installed at your meter to protect your appliances and electronics against power surges.
The Surge Protection Plus device also includes a backup portable generator connection port and a socket-mounted transfer switch for your backup portable generator. This enables you to power your backup portable generator to provide power directly to your home electrical system and eliminates the need for extension cords running from the generator into your home or costly transfer switch installation.
Major appliances such as refrigerators, clothes washers/dryers, dishwashers, freezers, furnaces, air conditioners, and many other appliances also known as “white appliances” are covered under warranty up to $5,000 per event and $1,000 per event for electronics including computers, televisions, gaming systems, printers, cell phones and other electronics in your home.
Please review the DTE Surge Protection Terms & Conditions for more details.
You may cancel at any time. However, there is an early termination fee of $150 if you cancel within 12 months of enrollment and a separate surge device removal fee. For details, please review the Surge Protection Plus Terms & Conditions.
Yes, you can upgrade to the Surge Protection Plus plan.
There is a one-time installation fee to switch your current surge device to a Surge Protection Plus surge protector with its backup portable generator inlet plug and a socket-mounted transfer switch. Please call (833) 452-0224 for current installation fee details.
DTE will install the surge protection plus device outside at your electric meter. There are no appointments or permits necessary and installation typically takes less than 20 minutes. You should plan for a brief interruption of service to allow for device installation.
The Surge Protection Plus device comes with a FREE 20-foot power cable, allowing for quick and easy connection to your portable generator. After installation, the power cable will be located at your electric meter or within the Surge Protection Plus package at your front door.
No, the Surge Protection Plus device is not available for purchase. It’s only provided for use as part of our Surge Protection Plus monthly plan.
Each device is equipped with an audible alarm and status lights. The alarm will sound continuously if the surge device requires service. In the event of a power outage, none of the status lights will be illuminated until generator power is provided.
The status lights are located on the collar behind the generator connection port behind your electric meter.
Green = Utility power is present
Red = An abnormal condition exists and safety circuits were initiated
Yellow = The household load is greater than 30 amps
Blue = Generator Power is present
Maintenance is required if
Do not attempt to remove or repair the surge device yourself. For more information, please refer to the Operating Manual or contact us at (833) 452-0224 to have a technician troubleshoot or replace the device.
Yes. Surge Protection Plus is an interconnection device that enables you to connect your portable generator directly to your home’s wiring system. During a power outage, your generator becomes your source of emergency back-up power. Surge Protection Plus is designed as an alternative to expensive transfer switches and hazardous extension cords.
Instructions on how to connect your generator to your Surge Protection Plus device can be found in the GenerLink Operating Manual.
The GenerLok power cable is a FREE 20-foot custom-made power cable that connects a portable generator to the Surge Protection Plus device. For Generator start-up procedures, please refer to your generator manufacturer owner’s manual.
We recommend measuring the distance between your portable generator and the location where the surge device will be installed to decide how long you need your power cable to be. If you require a longer power cable than 20-feet you will need to purchase one at generlink.com.
Stay safe and make sure to place your portable generator in a well-ventilated area near the surge device outside of your home.
The backup portable generator should never be operated inside your home or near windows or vents because generator exhaust gases can contain deadly carbon monoxide. Basements, crawl spaces and attached garages are other vulnerable areas.
Please consult your backup portable generator owner’s manual for complete instructions on the safe location for and operation of your backup portable generator.
The Surge Protection Plus device offers several advantages over traditional transfer switches:
| DTE Surge Protection Device | Transfer Switch | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Installed outside your home at the electric meter in less than 20 minutes. Fee: less than $100. | Requires re-wiring your home’s electric system. Can take 2-3 hours. Fee: typically $1500. |
| Appliances that can be powered | Flexibility of selecting the appliances you want to run from your home’s breaker panel up to the capacity of your generator. | Most basic transfer switches have 6 to 8 hard-wired circuits, which limits the number of circuits you can connect to the transfer switch. |
| Capacity |
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There is no risk of damage to your appliances created by the Surge Protection Plus device.
No. When your portable generator is properly connected to your Surge Protection Plus device, you are automatically disconnected from the utility power supply and you will not be reconnected until you disconnect from the device. Please review your generator’s Operating Manual for full details.
We’re ready to help. To get started, please review the FAQ, How do I submit a claim?