NEWARK — Delmarva Power customers can now request a free tree to plant at their home thanks to the company’s partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees program. 

Through the program, residential customers can reserve free energy-saving trees to help provide shade to their homes and enhance the natural beauty of their homes and neighborhood. Trees are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.

As part of the company’ Earth Month and Arbor Day celebrations this April, Delmarva Power is offering free trees to customers in Delaware and Maryland. Trees provided through the program offer cost saving benefits to customers as they grow as well as tangible environmental benefits for communities through improved air quality, reduced stormwater runoff, carbon reduction, and beautification of the neighborhoods we call home.

“We are so pleased to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation again this year in order to provide these free trees that have so many environmental, energy saving, and money saving benefits for our customers and communities,” said Marisa Slaten, director of Corporate Community Impact for Pepco Holdings, which includes Delmarva Power.

“From helping customers connect their solar with the local energy grid, laying the platform for electric vehicle charging and mass electric transportation, to programs like this, we are partnering with our customers in many ways to support a cleaner energy future and a better environment for all.”  

This year, Delmarva Power is providing 800 trees to residential customers. Customers can choose from several species, including Baldcypress, River Birch, Eastern Redbud, Red Maple and White Dogwood – all trees that are native to the northeast region. The one-gallon trees will be delivered via mail by the end of May.

To reserve a tree, visit arborday.org/Delmarva or call 855-670-2772. Before planting a tree, Delmarva Power reminds customers to know what’s below and call 811 to have utility-owned underground lines marked before digging.

Properly planted trees can provide many benefits, such as reducing energy use through summer shading and by slowing winter winds. As trees grow, they have the potential to lower energy bills by 30 percent. Interactive tools are available online through the Arbor Day Foundation to help customers determine the best place to plant their tree for energy savings.

The trees distributed by Delmarva Power since beginning its partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation are expected to absorb more than 476,000 pounds of air pollutants, save 32.2 million kWh of energy and provide more than $11.5 million in combined energy and community benefits.

“We are proud to partner with Delmarva Power for the 11^th consecutive year. Through this partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, Delmarva Power is doing outstanding work in the areas of energy efficiency, customer engagement and community resilience,” said Kristen Bousquet, program manager at the Arbor Day Foundation.

“This unique program benefits utility providers, their customers and the communities they serve by finding natural ways to conserve energy. Delmarva Power has distributed more than 20,000-yard trees to customers, and these trees planted in the right place can help homeowners save up to 30 percent on their electric bill.”