Overview
- Coverage on Friday highlighted a seasonal rise in accidental damages during spring digging that has increased low-voltage outages for households and street lighting.
- Homeowners and builders are legally required to check line locations before earthworks and can start with the free Bund-Länder-Initiative Leitungsauskunft (BIL) or by contacting the local network operator.
- Network operators warn that old cable maps are often inaccurate, especially for lines older than 50 years, because actual depth and position can shift over time or after later works.
- If a buried line is hit, stop work, cordon off the area, and notify the responsible network operator immediately while also calling emergency services if there is danger from exposed cables or gas.
- Repair bills can range from mid-to-high four-digit euros for house connections to lower five-digit sums for larger cables, and many insurers require a prior cable enquiry before they will cover claims.