Avoid the risk of outages by controlling your helium balloons this Valentine’s Day

Avoid the risk of outages by controlling your helium balloons this Valentine's Day

Celebratewith love and help us keep the lights on!

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - With Valentine's Day around the corner, helium-filled balloons can make the holiday even more special, colorful and festive.

Balloons can also be dangerous and destructive, especially metallic ones. Each year, homes and businesses lose electric power when balloons drift into power lines.

When metallic balloons touch power lines, they can cause electrical faults, which can cause power outages, equipment failures and can even cause wires to fall to the ground. This can result in property damage, fires and even injury or death from electrocution.

Next time an event calls for balloons, please keep in mind these safety tips:

• Never let helium-filled balloons drift away outdoors.
• Never try to retrieve balloons caught in power lines.
• Never go near a downed power line or dangling wire, and keep others away as well.
• Never tie metallic string or streamers to balloons.
• Report downed lines immediately by calling SMUD at 1-888-456-SMUD (7683) or call 911.

For additional electrical safety tips, visit SMUD.org.

About SMUD

As the nation's sixth-largest, community-owned, not-for-profit electric service provider, SMUD has been providing low-cost, reliable electricity to Sacramento County for more than 75 years. SMUD is a recognized industry leader for its innovative energy efficiency programs, renewable power technologies and for its sustainable solutions for a healthier environment. In 2024, SMUD's power supply was about 62% carbon free, which is largely influenced by the weather and amount of hydroelectricity produced. SMUD's goal is to completely eliminate carbon in its electricity production by 2030 while maintaining reliability and keeping rates among the lowest in California - on average, 50% lower than its neighboring, investor-owned utility. For more information on SMUD's Zero Carbon Plan and its customer programs, visit smud.org.