OHIO — April 1, 2026 — With spring in full swing and outdoor projects underway, CenterPoint Energy reminds customers and community members that April is National Safe Digging Month. No matter the size of the project, always call 811 before digging to help protect yourself, your neighbors, and underground utilities. This includes projects like building or repairing a fence, planting trees, installing a deck, placing a mailbox, or laying a patio. Customers and community members should contact 811 at least two business days (excluding weekends and holidays) before starting work to have underground utilities located at no cost.
“No matter the project depth or size, if you're in the yard or garden, it's important to have underground utilities located and marked before starting any outdoor home improvement project. Even shallow digging can be a potential safety risk if you don't know what is below the surface. A hit utility line can result in a safety incident or loss of utility service." said Mike Wilson, Vice President of CenterPoint's Ohio Gas business. “By taking the easy and no-cost step to contact 811 before digging, our customers and community members are taking an important action in helping keep themselves, their loved ones and communities safe."
In 2025, CenterPoint's buried natural gas infrastructure in Ohio were damaged over 200 times by digging projects. About 50 of those incidents involved projects that did not contact 811 to have utility lines marked before digging. State laws require safe digging practices to help prevent damage to underground natural gas, electric, communications, water and sewer lines. Digging without knowing what's below can lead to serious injuries including death as well as service disruptions, fines and costly repairs.
Know what's below! Steps to dig safely
To prevent damage and stay safe, CenterPoint urges customers to follow these steps before starting any digging project:
- Plan ahead! Contact 811 at least two business days before starting, no matter the project size or depth.
- Make the request early in the week for weekend projects.
- Confirm all utility lines are marked before beginning work.
- Adjust plans if needed. Relocate projects that are too close to marked utility lines.
- If using a contractor, verify they have contacted 811 before beginning work.
Smell natural gas? Act fast!
If a natural gas line is struck outside of a home or business, customers are reminded to do the following:
- Leave the area immediately on foot. Do not attempt to restart or move powered equipment or use your mobile device or any other item that could cause a spark.
- Go to a safe location, then call 911 and CenterPoint at 800-227-1376
- Remain in a safe area until directed by emergency personnel to do otherwise.
- Don't try to repair a natural gas leak. Leave all repairs to a qualified technician.
Visit 811BeforeYouDig.com to learn more about the process to have underground utility lines located and marked. For more natural gas safety information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Safety.
About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
As the only investor owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of December 31, 2025, the company owned approximately $46.5 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years.
