LCEC – Lee County Electric Cooperative

Stay safe around electricity this holiday season

December 10, 2019 – While staying safe around electricity is important year-round, it is especially important to keep electric safety in mind during the holidays.

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. More than one hundred fires happen per year due to issues with decorative and holiday lights.

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. Hundreds of home fires start each year because of Christmas trees!

Choose battery-operated candles.
Invest in battery-operated candles which are much safer than normal candles. Normal candles cause nearly half of home decoration fires.

Protect 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.

Unplug when not in use.
Never leave holiday lights on when not home or while sleeping. It is estimated that half of all home fires happen between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

For more tips on staying safe around electricity, visit lcec.net. LCEC wishes all a happy and safe holiday season!