Who is responsible for finding & fixing power-line noise?
The electric utility is responsible for correcting only that noise generated by the equipment and hardware that it actually owns. In cases where a utility customer uses an appliance or device that generates noise, the operator of the device is responsible for fixing it — even if the noise is conducted and radiated by the power company’s power-lines. Electric utility companies are often blamed for and even victimized by noise they do not cause and are not responsible to fix. This can be especially true when the customer owned noise source generates noise similar in sound to true power-line noise. Light dimmers, for example, are often mistaken for power-line noise, especially by an untrained ear. Customer owned doorbell transformers are also notorious and often found to be the source of an RFI problem. The latter is an example of a serious defect that should be repaired. In many cases, power-line or electrical noise is the first indication of an electrical failure about to occur.
