USE is underground service entrance cable.
USE stands for underground service entrance cable, a cable used to carry power from the utility service into a building along an underground, directly buried route. Service entrance cable connects the incoming utility supply to a building's electrical system, and the USE type is constructed with moisture-resistant insulation suited to direct burial in the earth. This allows the service connection to be made underground rather than overhead.
Because USE cable is buried, it is built with moisture-resistant insulation and a construction that withstands the underground environment, protecting the conductors from dampness and soil contact. It carries the substantial power of a service entrance reliably along the buried run.
In commercial and industrial settings, USE cable brings incoming utility power into a building underground. Recognizing the designation helps in identifying cable rated for underground service entrance use.
Because USE cable is buried, it is built with moisture-resistant insulation and a construction that withstands the underground environment, protecting the conductors from dampness and soil contact while carrying the substantial power of a service entrance reliably along the buried run into a building.
Recognizing how USE's moisture-resistant, direct-burial construction suits it to underground service helps customers interpret references for commercial and industrial installations where incoming utility power is brought into a building underground.
At Windy City Wire, an understanding of service entrance cable designations, including USE, supports clear communication about power cable. Recognizing how USE's moisture-resistant, direct-burial construction suits it to underground service helps customers interpret references for commercial and industrial installations.
USE (underground service entrance)
NEC (National Electrical Code), which defines Type USE cable