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Surge Protector FAQ

Residential Surge Protection

A surge is a sudden, quick increase in voltage. Though usually small and unnoticed by you, over time these surges can damage sensitive electronic equipment. In an average home, these small surges can occur many times a day.

Yes, refrigerators, freezers, furnaces, copier machines, laser printers, hair dryers, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, and power tools—just to name a few—are responsible for creating surges.

Surges created by a storm or single lightning strike near your home can seriously damage electronics. Power lines and utility poles that are damaged by animals, fallen tree limbs, and car accidents can also cause surges. Surges can enter your home through telephone, CATV, or power lines.

You can start with installing a “circuit panel” or “service entrance” style surge protector (also referred to as a surge suppression device) in your home. This device either reduces electricity spikes, or stops them from entering the house all together. This will protect your larger appliances, such as ranges, water heaters, washers, dryers, dishwashers and motors. A qualified electrician or your local utility can ensure proper installation. Proper installation is key because even the best surge protector in the world is useless unless it is correctly installed.

But don’t stop here! To further protect your electronic equipment against surge damage, you need to install a surge protection device within fifteen feet of that equipment. This can be done with a simple plug-in unit or one that wires directly to your equipment.

The best way to protect yourself form surges is through the combination of service entrance surge protectors, and additional protection 15 feet from electronics.

Not necessarily. Damaging surges can enter your home through phone and cable circuits just as easily as power lines. The same rule applies as before: protect your phone and cable cords within fifteen feet of your equipment. At locations that combine electric power with either cable television or telephone, make sure that the surge protector protects everything.

Yes. A surge protection device is only as effective as the electrical grounding circuit that is made available to it. Surge protection devices divert surge current to grounding wires in your home and then ultimately to earth where they are safely diverted away from your equipment.

A qualified electrician or your local utility can make that determination for you. Since most permanently wired surge protectors will require an electrician for installation, this may be a good time to have your grounding examined. Additionally, surge protection strips are only effective if used on three-prong (grounded) outlets.

No. Like most products, surge protectors vary in quality. Careful attention must be paid to how a surge protector meets your requirements. Read the information on the box carefully and consult the information under the "Surge protector checklist" heading. 

Look for surge protection devices that carry a “UL 1449” label. Surge protectors also carry a “joule” and/or “surge-current” rating. The higher the rating of these two categories, the better is the quality of the internal surge-stopping components. Another important performance characteristic is the “clamping voltage.” This is the voltage that the surge protector will let through to your equipment before it diverts it to ground. A quality device will have status lights that will display correct input wiring configuration and failure indicator lights or buzzers to signify whether the device is working properly. See the "Surge Protector Checklist" tab for more information. 

Expect to pay about $45–$100 for a higher quality eight-outlet plug strip with an internal phone protector. Stay away from those $8 specials. A residential circuit panel-mounted surge protector of higher quality will cost in excess of $100.

No. A variety of conditions can indicate that it is time to replace surge protectors. Two of the most prevalent signals are a failure indicator light going off and/or a buzzer sounding. Some surge protection strips are also designed to permanently turn off upon failure.

Contact NGEMC's Energy Services team who can provide information about proper selection, installation and use. 

  • UL Listing (“UL 1449 Listed” is good. “UL 1449 Revision 2” is better).The following terms do not indicate adequate surge protection: “UL tested,” “meets UL,” and “UL.” The surge protector should indicate that it is “UL listed.”
  • For a plug strip, the clamping voltage should be UL 330 volts, the surge-current rating should be at least 36,000 amps, and the joule rating should be at least 360 joules.
  • For permanently installed surge protection, the clamping voltage should be no more than UL 400 volts, the surge-current rating should be at least 36,000 amps, and the joule rating should be at least 360 joules.
  • Failure indicator light or buzzer
  • Status light (for indicating proper wiring and grounding)
  • Recessed on/off switch on strip surge protectors
  • Multi-mode protection (line to neutral, line to ground, neutral to ground)
  • Adequate plug spacing (wide enough to plug in power supplies if needed)

It is highly recommended that a surge protection device incorporates phone/modem and/or coax protection to cover all plug-in connections and any given piece of electronic equipment.

Surge Protector for TVs and VCRs should also include:

  • Coax plugs

Surge Protectors for Computers, Telephones, and Telephone Answering Machines should also include:

  • Telephone line plugs

Commercial Surge Protection

Most surges are caused by operational or electrical problems with equipment like compressors, motors, elevators, air conditioners, pumps, etc. Faulty wiring can also cause surges or load imbalances that damage equipment and electronics.

Surges caused by voltage disturbances outside the building can reach equipment through  telephone, cable television or power lines. External causes of surges include storms, lightning, wind, accidents, equipment damage or failure, wildlife and vegetation.

Surge protection installed at the service entrance, distribution panels and points-of-use may  reduce business downtime and help prevent damage to costly equipment:

  • High-powered machines such as motors, compressors, HVAC;Computers, printers, fax machines and photo copiers;
  • Sensitive electronics like security alarm systems, telemetry or monitoring networks, barcode scanners, and thermostats;
  • Critical healthcare monitoring and life support systems;
  • Telecommunications and data processing systems.

Power or voltage surges are brief bursts of energy caused by a sudden change in the electrical conditions of a circuit. Surge suppression devices regulate the voltage supplied to an electric device either by blocking excess voltage or diverting it to ground.

Surge suppression devices do not provide back-up power. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is a device that provides almost instantaneous temporary power when a permanent power source fails.

A UPS does not function as a standby generator or emergency power system, but works long enough to properly shut down protected equipment or to bring an auxiliary power source on line. A UPS is used to protect computers, data centers, telecommunications equipment or other electrical equipment where an unexpected power disruption could cause  injuries, data loss or disrupt business processes.

Make sure that all systems have a common ground and enter the building within a few feet of each other. A qualified electrician and NGEMC can help determine if you have adequate grounding at your facility. Install surge protection in layers at different points in the electrical system:

  •  At the point of entry to protect against external disturbances.
  • At distribution panels within the facility, especially if it includes large motors, welders, etc.
  • At individual pieces of sensitive equipment and communication lines (phone cords, internet cables or coaxial cables – cable television or cable internet type connections).

Choose a product with the following features and information on the product packaging:

  • Labeled as UL 1449 Listed or UL 1449 Revision 2 Listed; the following terms do not indicate adequate surge protection: “UL tested,” “meets UL,” and “UL.” The surge protector should indicate that it is “UL listed;”
  • Joules (the amount of energy the suppressor can dissipate), ranges from 200 to several thousand, but the higher the number the better;
  • Clamping voltage (the voltage at which the surge suppressor will divert the surge to ground) -- the lower the number the better -- typically 330 volts. Do not get a surge suppressor with a clamping voltage higher than 400 volts;
  • A response time of less than one nanosecond;
  • Failure indicator light or buzzer.
  • Status light to indicate proper wiring or grounding.
  • Recessed on/off switch on strip surge protectors.
  • Multi-mode protection (line to neutral, line to ground, neutralto ground).
  • Adequate plug spacing (wide enough to plug in power supplies if needed).
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Incentives and Financing

Heat Pump

La financiación a bajo interés y tasa fija está disponible para bombas de calor energéticamente eficientes instaladas a través del programa TVA EnergyRight® de NGEMC.
Las instalaciones son realizadas por un miembro de la Red® de Contratistas de Calidad de TVA e inspeccionadas por un técnico de energía de TVA.

  • Préstamos desde $2,500 hasta $20,000. 
  • No hay penalización por pago anticipado. 
  • Las cuotas mensuales se agregan a su factura de electricidad.
  • Puntaje de crédito de 625 o más a través de Equifax

Puede financiar el aislamiento del ático y los conductos (sin instalación de bomba de calor). Reembolsos disponibles a través de TVA a partir del 1 de octubre de 2023 con artículos de eficiencia calificados. Llame a NGEMC para obtener más detalles.

Regístrese en línea o llame al 1-855-237-2673. 

9 pasos para financiar su bomba de calor energéticamente eficiente

  1. Regístrese en energyright.com/residential o llame al1-855-237-2673 y obtenga un número de identificación de EnergyRight.
  2. Para solicitar un préstamo para bomba de calor en cualquiera de nuestras cuatro oficinas:
    1. Traiga su número de identificación de EnergyRight, que se incluirá en la solicitud de financiamiento.
    2. Traiga una copia de su escritura de garantía de propiedad, tal como está registrada con el secretario del condado.
    3. El solicitante debe ser el titular principal de la cuenta NGEMC y ser propietario de la propiedad donde se instalará la bomba de calor.
    4. Cada parte debe firmar la solicitud debe estar presente y tener una identificación con fotografía.
    5. Pague una tarifa de solicitud no reembolsable de $ 25.00 cuando presente la solicitud.
    6. Las casas móviles deben estar sobre una base permanente.
    7. Las viviendas con hipoteca inversa deben tener permiso por escrito de la institución financiera para participar.
  3. La institución crediticia de TVA revisa su solicitud de crédito. Si se le aprueba el financiamiento, NGEMC le enviará por correo un Acuerdo de participación que incluirá su número de aprobación del préstamo. Si no se aprueba el financiamiento, se le enviará por correo una carta de explicación.
  4. Firme el Acuerdo de Participación y envielo de vuelta al NGEMC.
  5. Para obtener estimaciones de instalación, puede ponerse en contacto con los contratistas de bombas de calor que figuran en la Red de Contratistas de Calidad (QCN) en energyright.com. ANTES de aceptar el presupuesto, puede ponerse en contacto con el equipo de Servicios de Energía de NGEMC para conocer el monto de su cuota mensual y el desglose.
  6. NGEMC presentará una Declaración de Financiamiento del Código Comercial Uniforme (UCC) en el condado donde se encuentra su propiedad.
  7. Después de que su contratista de bombas de calor envíe la factura a NGEMC, se comunicará con usted para que visite su oficina local de NGEMC para firmar documentos adicionales. Todas las partes deben estar presentes para firmar.
  8. Una vez que firme la documentación, tiene tres días hábiles (excluyendo días festivos) para cancelar el préstamo y realizar un pago directo al contratista.
  9. Los pagos del préstamo se agregan a su cuenta de NGEMC y aparecerán en cada factura mensual.

Low interest, fixed-rate financing is available on energy efficient heat pumps installed through NGEMC’s TVA  EnergyRight® Program.

Installations are made by a member of the TVA Quality Contractor Network® and inspected by a TVA energy technician.

No penalty for early pay-off; monthly installments are added to your electric bill. 

We also finance attic insulation and duct work (without heat pump installation). 

*Rebates are available through TVA beginning on October 1, 2023. Call NGEMC for more details.

Want to fill out an application for NGEMC’sTVA EnergyRight® Program? Find the application here.

9 steps to financing your energy efficient heat pump

  1. Visit energyright.com/residential or call 1 (855) 237-2673 to obtain an EnergyRight ID number.
  2. To apply for a heat pump loan at any of our four offices:
    1. Bring your EnergyRight ID number, which will be included on the application for financing;
    2. Bring a copy of your property warranty deed, as recorded with the county clerk, and your driver’s license or official picture identification;
    3. The applicant must be the primary NGEMC account holder and own the property where the heat pump will be installed;
    4. Each party who signs the application must be present and have a picture identification;
    5. Pay a nonrefundable $25.00 application fee when you apply.
    6. MOBILE HOMES must be on a permanent foundation. 
    7. REVERSE MORTGAGE HOMES must have written permission. 
  3. TVA’s lending institution reviews your credit application. If you are approved for financing, NGEMC will mail you an Agreement to Participate which will include your loan approval number. If financing is not approved, a letter of explanation will be mailed to you.
  4. Sign the Agreement to Participate and send it back to NGEMC.
  5. For installation estimates, you may contact heat pump contractors who are listed on the Quality Contractor Network (QCN) at energyright.com. BEFORE agreeing to the estimate, you can contact NGEMC's Energy Services team for your monthly installment amount and breakdown.
  6. NGEMC will file a Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Financing Statement with the county where your property is located.
  7. After your heat pump contractor submits the invoice to NGEMC, you will be contacted to visit your local NGEMC office to sign additional paperwork. 
  8. Once you sign the paperwork, you have three business days (excluding holidays) to cancel the loan and make a direct payment to the contractor.
  9. Loan payments are added to your NGEMC account and will appear on each monthly bill. 
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