NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Many Nashville homeowners are discovering that getting power restored to their neighborhood doesn't guarantee their lights will turn back on. The issue often lies with damaged weatherheads – the connection point where homes receive power from Nashville Electric Service (NES) – and repairing them is the homeowner's responsibility.
In Green Hills, power has returned to the Woodlawn block, but some residents are still without electricity inside their homes.
"But cold, it's 40 degrees in there now," one homeowner said.
The problem occurs when homes can't receive electrical current due to damaged weatherheads, which protect and connect electrical wires on homes to service lines.
Hiller electricians report that weatherhead repairs make up almost all of their current service calls. The company understands the frustration homeowners are experiencing.
"Fuses get short, tempers rise, and people are frustrated because this doesn't only cause problems with an electrical system. They don't have any heat in their homes, pipes freeze. All that kind of stuff comes from not having power for a long period of time," a Hiller electrician said.
Some weatherhead repairs require complete replacement rather than simple fixes.
"Normally we have to call NES to get this replaced but just because the whole entire thing needs to be replaced we can just cut it off," the electrician explained.
All repairs must meet safety and code requirements before power companies will reconnect homes to the grid.
"Everything has got to be up, secure and safe and the code and pass inspection for the power company will reconnect to the home," the electrician said.
The demand for these repairs has been overwhelming for contractors.
"In the past week, I've probably done probably at least 50 of these, working probably 14 to 16 hours a day," the electrician said.
Under emergency repair allowances, contractors can call in codes and get approval remotely since weatherheads are being restored to their pre-storm condition. However, once repairs are completed and approved, homeowners must wait for NES to reconnect their homes to the grid.
"Most common questions, when's our power going to get back on?" the electrician said. "We can get out to you and get the power up, but how quickly everything else gets done, that's kind of beyond our control."
For homeowners who get their repairs completed, the relief is evident.
"Just a relief that it can be called in and getting taken care of," one resident said.
Hiller says they can complete same-day or next-day weatherhead repairs. For homes still without power, they recommend switching breakers off to protect homes and appliances from potential voltage surges when reconnection occurs.
Repair costs vary depending on the extent of weatherhead damage, ranging from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
