Tips for Holiday Energy Security

Did you know that the National Fire Protection Agency reports an average of 160 fires involving Christmas trees and 790 fires involving other holiday decorations each year?

To avoid being added to this list, heed the advice in the following holiday electrical safety precautions:

• Every year, take a look at the seasonal decorations.

• Select a fire-resistant artificial tree.

• Just three light strings should be connected at once.
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• Don't Clutter Electrical Outlets

• Holiday decorations should be turned off before going to bed or leaving the house.

• We'll go through these suggestions in more detail so that any questions about electrical safety over the holiday season are answered.

Check the seasonal decorations each year

Like most people, you probably put your Christmas decorations in a box in January and don't take them out until after Thanksgiving. Check out any holiday decorations before plugging them into an outlet because they can eventually wear out and get damaged.

Watch out for damaged electrical plugs, worn-out or frayed cords, and broken light fixtures. Although these objects may seem harmless, they could easily start a fire if they were mistakenly placed close to anything combustible, such as rugs, paper ornaments, or even a dry Christmas tree.

Select a fire-resistant artificial tree.

If you use artificial Christmas trees, make sure you purchase one that is fire-resistant.

The flammability standards for artificial trees were raised in 2010, so if you decorate an older artificial tree every year, you should upgrade to a newer, safer tree.

This holiday season, it's a good idea to check the safety certifications of any electronic decorations you use and the fire-resistant mark on your tree. Safety groups like Underwriters Laboratories should approve electronic decorations to ensure they don't pose any extra fire risks.

Just three light strings should be connected at once.

If specified on the package, limit the number of holiday light strands you connect when decorating your house or tree to at most three. Depending on the capacity of your socket, connecting more than three sets of lights could result in a circuit shorting out.

If you want more lights, consider purchasing Christmas lights with LED bulbs. As LED bulbs use less energy, you may connect more strands without putting too much strain on your outlets. Moreover, LED bulbs last longer, use less energy and emit less heat than conventional string light bulbs.

Incidentally, the same recommendations hold if you're utilizing lights to decorate the outside of your home. Before hanging the lights, be sure they are designed for outdoor use.

Don't Clutter Electrical Outlets

Like using too many Christmas lights, too many high-wattage holiday decorations can overload an outlet and blow a circuit. Instead, please put them in a power strip with a circuit breaker.

Moreover, pay attention to the placement of electrical cords. Electrical cords shouldn't be run under carpets or furniture because they could rupture or become constricted if they overheat.

Holiday decorations should be turned off before going to bed or leaving the house.

Ensure your holiday decorations are off before you leave the house or go to bed. Leaving your decorations on when you're home increases the chance that a spark can ignite a devastating fire.

By turning off your decorations, you'll increase the likelihood that any fire that begins while you're away from home (whether caused by your neighbor's lights or other circumstances) can be extinguished before it spreads.