Electric Division | Mishawaka Utilities

Serving Mishawaka’s Electric Needs

While owned by the City of Mishawaka, our services are not supported by tax dollars. We are a division of Mishawaka Utilities, and our operation is completely financed by the customers we serve. We are proud that our electric customers enjoy electric rates that are slightly below average for Indiana cities of our size.

About Us

The Dodge Electric Light and Power Company was incorporated on November 29, 1890. The company was organized for the “production of electric light, heat and power for commercial, domestic and manufacturing purposes.” In 1903, the town purchased and expanded the company’s lines, incorporating under the name of “Mishawaka Public Utility Company.”

The emphasis today is still on the word “public” as Mishawaka remains one of 2,000 communities across America that own and operate their electric utility. We purchase all our city’s electricity needs and construct and maintain the distribution system, consisting of nearly 300 miles of lines, 11 substations, and now 32 miles of fiber.

Tree Line USA Program

The lush green canopy of leaves blowing in the summer. Vivid shades of red, orange and yellow during crisp fall afternoons. A strong row of pines covered in winter snow. Mishawaka’s urban forest is a very special part of what makes our city a great place to live.

At Mishawaka Utilities Electric Division, we are proud of our Tree Line USA status. It is an award given by the National Arbor Day Foundation to utilities that follow guidelines set forth to manage their urban forests. The Electric Division must meet the following qualifications:

Quality tree care, worker training
Community tree planting & public education
Tree-based energy conservation
Arbor Day observance

We are completing our 12th year as a Tree Line USA utility. We are the only municipal electric utility in the state to hold the designation of a Tree Line USA utility. Maintaining our overhead facilities by keeping them clear of tree growth and potential damage due to storms delivers a level of service and reliability that is one of the highest in the state.

Arbor Day Celebration

Each year in April, the Mishawaka Utilities Electric Division hosts the Arbor Day Celebration. We help to provide trees to plant at the site of the ceremony and offer seedling trees to all of the fifth-grade students in Mishawaka Schools.

Visit the links below to learn more about the roles trees play in our lives and how the National Arbor Day Foundation is caring for and protecting our environment!

Electric Usage and Safety Tips

We know the importance of staying safe around electricity. Part of our mission is to help our customers get the most out of their electric usage.

Read some of our favorite tips

Never install extension cords with nails or staples.
Examine extension cords for signs of damage, such as cracking or peeling insulation.
Never hide extension cords under rugs or furniture.
Never overload an extension cord.
Keep appliances away from sinks and tubs that they might fall in. If an appliance does fall into the water, unplug it first. Don’t grab it.
On hot days, run major appliances in the morning and evening, when air conditioners all over town aren’t working as hard as during the day.
To help safeguard your home electronic equipment, consider purchasing a surge protector or surge suppressor.
On hot days, turn your air conditioner up to 78, and use a fan to circulate the cool air.
On hot days, cook meals in the microwave, toaster oven or slow cooker – they use less power and produce less heat, so you win twice!
Draft-proof your windows, doors and other air leaks. Insulate.
Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans wisely. In just one hour, these fans can blow away a houseful of warmed or cooled air out of your home.
Keep your heating/air conditioning system well-tuned.
Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units.
Set the fan speed on high except in very humid weather. When it’s humid, set the fan speed at low; you’ll get less cooling but more moisture will be removed from the air.
Clean or replace furnace filters at least once a month – even in the cooling season.
Turn off your window air conditioner when you leave a room for several hours.
Don’t place lamps or TV sets near your air conditioning thermostat.
Keep out the daytime sun with vertical louvers or awnings on the outside of your windows, or draw draperies, blinds and indoor shades.
Keep lights low or off.
If every household in the United States raised air conditioning temperatures 6 degrees, we would save the equivalent of 190,000 barrels of oil every day.

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