The Average Payment Plan can help reduce your high bills in summer and winter and make it easier to manage your monthly bill. The plan allows you to pay a monthly bill on the average cost of your most recent 12-month period. The amount due may vary slightly month to month but if you were signed up for Average Payment, your bill for this month would have only been Label and then every bill in the coming months would be close to that same amount. It’s not too late to sign up for your Label bill.
For more information about the Average Pay Program and how it can help reduce high bill surprises, visit our Average Payment Plan page
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We’re serious about our responsibility to keep trees away from power lines. We want Kansas trees to stand strong through all kinds of Kansas weather, so our tree experts trim them all year ’round to keep ice, snow, wind and storms from wreaking havoc. Our proactive efforts are paying off. In trimmed areas, tree-related power outages have dropped by more than 60 percent. Year-round trimming is a smart way to keep families safe and preserve the beauty of Kansas trees for generations to come.
If you have a tree that you believe is in urgent need of a trim, or have any questions about the ReliabiliTree program, we invite you to speak directly with one of our tree experts. Call us at 855-WESTAR-5.
We recognize how much beauty trees add to our neighborhoods, so we take special care to prune them properly: • Each tree is evaluated on an individual basis. Only branches that may impact overhead lines are removed. • We follow the approved Tree Care Industry pruning standards. Directional pruning methods allow for trees to attain normal regrowth for their species. It’s the best method for safety and your tree’s health. Directional pruning also prevents future problems. Your tree may look different after pruning, but in the long run, it will be less susceptible to pest problems and decay.
ReliabiliTree helps improve electric service reliability by mitigating one of the main causes of power outages - vegetation near power lines. ReliabiliTree puts circuit clearance on a four to five year cycle. The program supports Westar's core value of safety for its employees, contractors and the public. back to top ↑
ReliabiliTree began as a pilot in the Wichita metro area in 2010 and is currently active in all regions of Westar's territory. back to top ↑
Our past approach to trimming trees has been on an outage-based priority system. For many circuits, this may mean trees are not trimmed for eight to 10 years. With ReliabiliTree, we will trim trees on four to five year cycles. back to top ↑
It's important that we help our customers and communities understand the importance of keeping power lines clear of trees and other vegetation, not only for the reliability of their electric service, but for their safety and the safety of our employees. We meet with city and/or county commissions, city staff and homeowner/neighborhood associations to explain the program and answer questions. Our public education campaign consists of various methods for getting the word out, such as newspaper, radio, TV and outdoor signage. Customers will receive a door hanger with information about the ReliabiliTree program prior to work being done at their home. Contact information is included. back to top ↑
Trees and power lines are natural enemies. When trees come into contact with power lines, electric service is hampered and, more importantly, a dangerous situation is created for both the public and our employees in charge of keeping the lights on. In a nutshell, the goal of Westar's ReliabiliTree line clearance program is to balance safe, reliable service with preserving the health and appearance of trees. back to top ↑
In areas where we have cleared circuits of vegetation, tree-related power outages have dropped more than 60 percent. back to top↑
We use a dot system to help crews identify trees that need attention. A white dot means a tree needs to be pruned. An orange dot means a tree needs to be removed. The dots are placed toward the bottom of the tree, if the tree is accessible. A door hanger with this information is left at each residence before work is started. back to top↑
Like you, we appreciate the many benefits trees provide our homes and communities. That's why ReliabiliTree follows the same tree-pruning practices recommended by the International Society of Arboriculture and by the Tree Care Industry Association. The species of tree determines the amount of pruning. After pruning, the tree may look somewhat "stark," but in time it should fill out. back to top ↑
Crews are assigned work by electrical circuits. In some areas, multiple circuits feed a particular neighborhood. This is why you might see work performed near your house but not on the lines that serve your home. back to top ↑
Burying power lines is very costly and presents many challenges. Customers may experience longer interruptions with buried power lines because it takes more time to determine the cause and make repairs. Excavation work may also be required to diagnose and repair problems with buried power lines. back to top ↑
ReliabiliTree crews clear branches along lines in the utility easement (from pole to pole). Trimming along service lines from the pole to the home is the customer's responsibility. Upon request, Westar will temporarily remove the service line so customers can have branches along the service line trimmed. We will return to reattach the service line once the customer notifies us the work is complete. Depending on the situation, Westar may trim trees or remove vegetation. Call our Customer Relations Center at 800-383-1183 to schedule this service. back to top ↑
The Tree Growth Regulator (TGR), ShortStop, is supplied by Plant Growth Management Systems, LLC and is specifically formulated to be used by arborists to slow the annual growth of trees. It also indirectly creates additional benefits that help trees withstand urban stress, such as poor soil, limited root space, drought conditions and wind damage. The application is subsoil; either basal drench around the trunk of the tree or soil injection. Growth and regrowth control on trees varies between two and four years depending on the length of the growing season. back to top ↑
The active ingredient in ShortStop is Paclobutrazol (22.3%). This product is specifically formulated to resist movement from the application site. It is water insoluble and can be applied throughout the year. back to top ↑
A Westar vegetation employee will work with a city representative to identify candidate trees and mark them with a green dot. Then we will notify the adjacent landowner of the upcoming TGR application and answer any questions. If no objections are presented, our contractor will apply the TGR to marked tree(s). All work will be tracked in a digital database and available to the city upon request. back to top ↑
A two-person crew will utilize a small gas powered pump/tank system to administer the subsoil application. This machine will be transported between sites utilizing the hitch receiver on the rear of a pickup. back to top ↑