When the power goes out, most people just want things to feel normal again—lights on, fridge running, family comfortable. Generators and solar panels can make that possible, but when they’re not used exactly as intended, they can send electricity flowing backward through the power lines. It’s called backfeed, and it can put the lives of DEMCO lineworkers—and even homeowners—at risk.

What Is Backfeed?

Backfeed occurs when electricity from a home generator or solar system flows in the opposite direction from its normal path, feeding back into the power grid. During an outage, DEMCO crews de-energize lines before making repairs, ensuring they can work safely. But if a generator or solar inverter sends electricity back through the system, those same lines—believed to be off—can become energized again.

Why It’s So Dangerous

A backfed line carries enough voltage to injure or kill a lineman instantly. It can also damage household wiring or start a fire at the source of the backfeed. The danger is invisible—crews can’t see it coming—and it only takes one improper connection to turn a safe situation deadly.

How It Happens

Backfeed most often occurs when a generator is plugged directly into a wall outlet or tied into home wiring without a proper transfer switch to separate it from the electric grid. Even systems that were professionally installed years ago can become unsafe over time as wiring changes, breakers are replaced, or equipment ages.

Solar arrays can also create backfeed if they lack proper disconnects or fail-safe inverters that automatically shut off during outages.

How to Prevent It

Protecting linemen—and your own home—starts with a few key safety steps:

• Never plug a generator directly into an household outlet or wiring (home/shed/garage . This “backfeeds” electricity through your home’s wiring and onto utility lines.
• Use a transfer switch. It isolates your home from the grid when your generator is running
• Have your system inspected. A licensed electrician can ensure that safety mechanisms still function properly.
• Shut down during restoration. When crews are working nearby or power is being restored, turn off your generator until service stabilizes.

Safety Is a Shared Responsibility

Every DEMCO lineman depends on the community to help keep them safe. They climb poles and repair lines in all conditions, trusting that power isn’t flowing where it shouldn’t. When members take precautions to prevent backfeed, they’re helping protect the people who work day and night to restore electricity after storms.

Together, we can keep power flowing the right way—and keep everyone safe in the process.

REMEMBER: NEVER CONNECT A GENERATOR DIRECTLY TO YOUR HOME WIRING WITHOUT FIRST INSTALLING A TRANSFER SWITCH.