Skip to main content

Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Skip to the main navigation menu.

Skip to the main content area of the page.

Clouds with lightning bolt Reporting an Outage
Computer monitor and mobile phone View & Pay Bill - SmartHub
Hand with payment card Pay Now
House under construction Start New Service
Two stick people leaning on each other Helping Members
Several bank notes Get $100
Golf ball on a tee Golf Outing
An academic mortarboard cap Scholarships

  • Facebook

  • Vimeo
Home

Valley Rural Energy Services: Learn More About VRES  
Toll-free: 800-432-0680 | Pay-by-phone: 855-922-3147
Office Hours: Monday - Thursday, 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

HIC Number PA130865

Menu
Navigation Menu
  • Home
  • Billing Info
    • View & Pay Bill
    • Residential Bill
    • Payment Options
    • SmartHub Overview
      • SmartHub for the Web
      • SmartHub for iOS
      • SmartHub for Android
    • Disconnection Policy
    • Rates
    • FAQs About Rates
    • Fees
    • Definitions
      • Purchased Power Adjustment
  • Member Info
    • The Cooperative Difference
    • Bylaws and Forms
    • Annual Report
    • Capital Credits
    • Directors and Districts
    • Member Meetings
    • Recent Posts
    • Penn Lines
    • Valley News
    • Scam Alerts
  • Programs & Services
    • Valley Rural Energy Services
      • Generator Sales and Installation
      • Generator Transfer Switches
      • Whole Home Surge Protection
      • Electrical Service Work
      • Water Heater Sales
      • Water Heater Rebates
      • Home Energy Audits
      • LED Light Bulbs
    • Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)
    • Community Service Grant Program
    • Co-op Connections Program
    • Demand Response
      • Demand Response Details
    • Educational Programs
    • For Kids
    • Golf Outing
    • Members Helping Members
    • Scholarships - Brighter Future
      • 2024 Recipients
      • 2023 Recipients
      • 2022 Recipients
      • 2021 Recipients
      • 2020 Recipients
      • 2019 Recipients
      • 2018 Recipients
      • 2017 Recipients
      • 2016 Recipients
      • 2015 Recipients
      • 2014 Recipients
      • 2013 Recipients
      • 2012 Recipients
      • 2011 Recipients
      • 2010 Recipients
    • Youth Tour
  • Safety
    • Indoor Safety
    • Reporting an Outage
    • Storm Center
    • Safety Quiz
    • Safe Electricity
  • Save Energy
    • Electric Shift
    • Energy Calculators
  • About Us
    • Contact Info
    • Offices and Hours
    • Service Territory
    • Job Openings
    • Legal Information
    • About Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
    • Cooperative Principles
    • Off-site Links
    • Site Map

April is Safe Digging Month

Content Area

Wednesday | April 5, 2023
All News

April 5, 2023

Plan to call before you dig

Digging without locating underground utilities could leave neighborhoods in the dark, cause thousands of dollars in damages, or cause severe electrical shock or death. This is true regardless of how much area your project will cover or whether you consider the job to be large or small. To help stay safe, make use of the national underground utility locating service for free by calling 8-1-1 three business days before you intend to dig.

The 8-1-1 "Call Before You Dig" number will route you to your local utility locating service. Make sure to tell the operator where and when you plan to dig and what type of work you will be doing. From there, it takes a few business days for a professional to come mark your public utilities with flags or spray paint.

What the colors mean

There are different colors of paint and flags that mark the underground utilities, and each color is universal to what utility is buried.

Seven spades, each a different color corresponding to a different utility as explained below.

  • Red – Electric
  • Orange – Communications (Telephone or Cable TV)
  • Blue – Potable Water
  • Green – Sewer or Drainage
  • Yellow – Gas, Oil, or Petroleum
  • Purple – Reclaimed Water
  • White – Proposed or Intended Excavation

Call every time

Even if you previously had utilities located by calling 8-1-1, it is best to call before every digging project. Underground utilities can shift, and it is important to be certain of where they are before ever putting a shovel in the ground.

It is important to understand that 8-1-1 locators do not locate privately installed facilities. If you have any private utilities, you will need to hire a private utility locator. Examples of private utilities include underground sprinkler system, invisible fences, data communication systems, private water systems, or gas piping to a garage.

Once all your underground utilities have been located, it is time to start digging, but be sure to wear all of the proper protective gear before putting the shovel or spade into the earth.

For more information about 8-1-1 and digging safely, visit Call811.com and SafeElectricity.org.

Article and image of colored spades courtesy of SafeElectricity.org.

Image of spade in dirt by Lukas (Goumbik) from Pixabay.

Items of Interest

We Make Safety a Priority. Valley REC. Proud member of Safe Electricity® since 2017.

Valley Rural Energy Services offered by Valley Rural Electric Cooperative
HIC Number PA130865

SmartHub Access My Account logo

THANKS FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE, MOM. The one card that does it all. Connections.coop - A mother helping her young son with his bicycle.

Call 811 - Know what's below. Call before you dig. (PA One Call)

Touchstone Energy Cooperatives' Home Energy Adventure

Cp-ops Vote 5-Star Program

Proud to be a 5-Star Co-op 2021-2021

 

Back to Top

Main Address

Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc.

10700 Fairgrounds Road

PO Box 477

Huntingdon, PA 16652-0477

 

Phone Numbers

Telephone: 814-643-2650

Toll-free: 800-432-0680

Pay-by-phone: 855-922-3147

Fax: 814-643-1678

 

Office Hours

Monday - Thursday

7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

 

HIC Number PA130865

Follow us!


  • Facebook

  • Vimeo

The Touchstone Energy® name and logo design, the Co-op Connections® name,
the tagline "The One Card That Does It All®," and the tagline "The Power of Human Connections®"
are federally registered trademarks and may not be used without permission.

NISC, SmartHub, and the SmartHub Logo are registered trademarks of National Information Solutions Cooperative, Inc. (NISC) in the U.S. and other countries.

Safe Electricity® is a registered trademark of the Energy Education Council.

Quick Links

  • Contact Info
  • Reporting an Outage
  • Off-site Links
  • Recent Posts
  • Site Map

©2025 Valley Rural Electric Cooperative. Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

  • Home
  • Billing Info
    • View & Pay Bill
    • Residential Bill
    • Payment Options
    • SmartHub Overview
      • SmartHub for the Web
      • SmartHub for iOS
      • SmartHub for Android
    • Disconnection Policy
    • Rates
    • FAQs About Rates
    • Fees
    • Definitions
      • Purchased Power Adjustment
  • Member Info
    • The Cooperative Difference
    • Bylaws and Forms
    • Annual Report
    • Capital Credits
    • Directors and Districts
    • Member Meetings
    • Recent Posts
    • Penn Lines
    • Valley News
    • Scam Alerts
  • Programs & Services
    • Valley Rural Energy Services
      • Generator Sales and Installation
      • Generator Transfer Switches
      • Whole Home Surge Protection
      • Electrical Service Work
      • Water Heater Sales
      • Water Heater Rebates
      • Home Energy Audits
      • LED Light Bulbs
    • Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)
    • Community Service Grant Program
    • Co-op Connections Program
    • Demand Response
      • Demand Response Details
    • Educational Programs
    • For Kids
    • Golf Outing
    • Members Helping Members
    • Scholarships - Brighter Future
      • 2024 Recipients
      • 2023 Recipients
      • 2022 Recipients
      • 2021 Recipients
      • 2020 Recipients
      • 2019 Recipients
      • 2018 Recipients
      • 2017 Recipients
      • 2016 Recipients
      • 2015 Recipients
      • 2014 Recipients
      • 2013 Recipients
      • 2012 Recipients
      • 2011 Recipients
      • 2010 Recipients
    • Youth Tour
  • Safety
    • Indoor Safety
    • Reporting an Outage
    • Storm Center
    • Safety Quiz
    • Safe Electricity
  • Save Energy
    • Electric Shift
    • Energy Calculators
  • About Us
    • Contact Info
    • Offices and Hours
    • Service Territory
    • Job Openings
    • Legal Information
    • About Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
    • Cooperative Principles
    • Off-site Links
    • Site Map