PG&E: Follow These Safety Tips For Holiday Decorating

Electric customers can add a little safety to their lives and save money this holiday season by decorating with light-emitting diode light bulbs, also known as LED lights, PG&E officials said.

LEDs consume 75 percent less energy than incandescent lights and produce almost no heat, reducing the risk of fire and making them safe to touch. LEDs are also break resistant and shock resistant.

PG&E officials offered some additional fire safety tips:

• The officials said to follow the manufacturer's limits on the number of strings of lights that are strung together. Too many can overload wall sockets or extension cords.
• Check all strands of lights for cracked or broken plugs, frayed insulation or bare wires and discard any damaged strings.
• Avoid placing cords under rugs, furniture or appliances because cords can become overheated or frayed, increasing the risk of fire.
• Turn off indoor and outdoor lights when leaving home or when going to bed.
• Avoid placing a Christmas tree near a heat source because heat will dry out the tree, making it more susceptible to catching fire.

PG&E officials also offered some safety tips when decorating outside.Keep at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines when stringing outdoor lights. Be especially aware of lines attached to the home and over the roof and look up before raising a ladder or other tall object.

Be sure tree limbs haven't grown into or near power lines before stringing lights on outdoor trees because branches, entire trees and even the adjacent ground can become energized when power lines touch trees.

By Bay City News Service / Patch file photo by Renee Schiavone