Heads-up during harvest! Look out for electric or natural gas equipment.

This harvest, we remind customers to pay extra attention to utility equipment while using farm machinery.

Every fall, tractors, combines, augers, tillage equipment, tiling machines and other related equipment are at high risk to hit power poles, guy wires connected to poles, overhead or underground electric lines and natural gas pipelines or equipment.

“We know everyone is busy getting the crops harvested or the fields tilled. We want to remind people to stay safe by taking an extra second to look for utility lines,” said Kent Sodawasser, lead safety specialist. “To be safe, machinery needs to stay at least ten feet away from power lines.”

Alliant Energy encourages customers to call 1-800-ALLIANT (800-255-4268), or their local utility if they come into contact with any piece of electrical or natural gas equipment. If the scene is dangerous or natural gas is blowing, customers should also call 911.

This safety checklist is for agricultural customers working around electricity or natural gas:

• Familiarize yourself with the location of all overhead and underground utility equipment, such as electric and natural gas meters, transformers and pipeline markers.
• If you are in a vehicle or piece of machinery that contacts a power line, stay in the vehicle until emergency personnel tells you it is safe to get out. If there is an immediate danger of a fire, jump out and land with both feet together. Never touch the equipment and the ground at the same time. Shuffle away from the equipment without raising your feet.
• Call 811 at least three business days before you do any digging, deep chisel plowing or tiling. Utility companies will locate their buried lines where you plan to work, for free. Respect the marks and then dig carefully.

For more safety tips, visit alliantenergy.com/agsafety.

J.D. Power: Alliant Energy earns high 2015 rankings for electric and gas customer satisfaction

Customer surveys indicated greater satisfaction with Alliant Energy

This year we moved up one ranking in both surveys to place:

• Highest in the Midwest for natural gas satisfaction  (midsize utility segment)
• Third in the Midwest for electric customer satisfaction (large utility segment)

Our highest ranking coincides with our efforts to extend natural gas services to new areas. This year we’re extending major gas lines in three communities in Wisconsin:  Oakdale, Beaver Dam and Oregon. Next year we’re scheduled to extend service in two communities in Iowa: Clinton and Ames.

Rankings were a result of J.D. Power surveys:

• 2015 Gas Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study (September 2015)
• 2015 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study (July 2015)

The studies measure customer satisfaction with electric and natural gas utility companies by examining six factors: price; billing and payment; corporate citizenship; communications; customer service, and either field service (for natural gas utilities) or power quality and reliability (for electric utilities).

We believe customer communication and price satisfaction are two factors that boost overall satisfaction among residential electric and gas utility customers.

These customer satisfaction rankings are one way we measure our success in delivering the energy solutions and exceptional service that our customers and communities count on – safely, efficiently and responsibly.