Colorful, shiny metallic balloons are popular gifts especially at graduations, birthdays and special occasions, but Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) says “hold on to them” or risk power outages and the interruption or loss of cable and Internet service. Unsecured helium-filled metallic balloons and metallic ribbons become a hazard when they drift up and become entangled in energized power lines causing a short circuit.

In 2006, fugitive metallic balloons accounted for 16 power service interruptions for HECO residents and businesses, 11 of which were sustained outages lasting an average of over one hour, and some as long as four hours. “Power interruptions caused by metallic balloons are a year-round concern for us and a huge inconvenience for the customers affected by an extended outage,” said Ka’iulani de Silva, HECO director of education and consumer affairs.

As any business can understand, an interruption in electrical service translates to loss of productivity and ultimately, lost revenue. HECO urges everyone to take a part in preventing power outages caused by metallic balloons, especially as the May graduation season and summer post-graduation party season is around the corner.

In addition to holding on to those metallic balloons, add a small weight to the end of the ribbon or string that holds the balloon to keep it from floating away and be sure to deflate the balloons before you dispose of them. HECO also suggests families and friends consider alternate gift ideas for your loved ones - lei, flowers, stuffed animals, gift certificates and non-helium inflatable toys.

If a metallic balloon is caught in a power line, call HECO at 808.548.7961 to report it. For more information, visit www.heco.com.