LCEC – Lee County Electric Cooperative

Be safe around electricity as you deck the halls

December 8, 2020 – After the rollercoaster of a year we have had, more people than ever want to get in the holiday spirit by doing such things as decorating in and outside of their homes. And decorating is an absolutely great way to celebrate and embrace the season! As you trim your tree and light your yard, keep electrical safety in mind by following the reminders below:

Inspect all decorations before use.
Damaged sockets, exposed wires and bad connections could cause electrical shock or even a fire! After inspection, use caution when plugging in your holiday decorations. Be careful not to overload outlets. If using incandescent lights, do not connect more than three strands as this could potentially blow a fuse, or worse yet, cause a fire.

Keep your tree watered.
A dry tree is a fire hazard. Water your tree daily, and be sure to remove it from your home when it has died or immediately after the holiday is over.

Choose votives over real candles.
Invest in battery-operated candles which are much safer than normal candles. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), unattended or forgotten candles are the cause of one in five home candle fires.

Use caution with cords.
Be sure to never pinch cords, hide them under furniture, place them near a heat source or secure them with nails or staples. Any of these could cause electric shock or a fire. Unplug all cords when not in use to stay safe while saving electricity!

For more tips on staying safe around electricity, visit lcec.net. Happy holidays from LCEC!