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8 Tips for Safer Holiday Lighting Displays

8 Tips for Safer Holiday Lighting Displays

Holiday lighting displays can brighten the season, but they also present potential hazards. Keep these safety tips in mind as you decorate your home.

Published: 8/12/2024 3:14:03 PM

Before you brighten the season with holiday lighting displays, keep everyone safe with these tips.

Holiday decorating

Every holiday season, U.S. fire departments respond to an average of 200 home fires that started with lighted trees, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Electrical problems caused one-third of these incidents. Fortunately, these fires are not common, but when they occur they are almost always serious.

To make sure your holiday season remains cheerful, keep the following safety tips in mind while decorating your home:

  1. Use lights that have been tested for safety. Look for "UL" on the tag, which means the lights have been approved by Underwriters Laboratories, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification.

  2. Inspect lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed wires or loose connections. If you encounter any of these problems, throw them away.

  3. Limit the number of light strands to three per outlet. For added safety, use a power strip with a built-in circuit breaker instead of a wall outlet.

  4. Replace incandescent lights with LEDs. They generate less heat, which makes them a safer choice both indoors and out. LED lights also last much longer and use 75% less electricity — two additional reasons to make the switch.

  5. Use the right lights. For outdoor decorations, use only light strings and extension cords rated for outdoor use.

  6. Be careful with extension cords. Avoid running extension cords in high-traffic areas where people could trip over them. Don't hide extension cords under rugs or beneath furniture, where they could become frayed or overheat.

  7. Turn off lights late at night or when no one is home. Make safety more convenient by plugging decorations into timer controls, which automatically turn lights on and off according to a set schedule.

  8. Plug safely outdoors. Make sure outdoor lights are plugged into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet. These are designed to protect against shock by automatically turning off when a change in electrical flow occurs.

Before you brighten up the holidays with indoor and outdoor light displays that everyone will love, keep everyone safe with these tips.

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  • My Account
    • Account Information
      • Start/Stop Electric Service
      • SmartHub Account Portal
      • Capital Credits
      • Contact Us
      • 2024 Rate Restructuring
    • Billing Information
      • Payment Options
      • Rates & Regulations
      • Demand Information
      • Understanding your Bill
      • PrePaid Advantage Program
      • Bill Payment Assistance
    • Outage Information
      • Outage Information
      • Outage Map
      • Right-of-Way Procedures
  • My Cooperative
    • News and Events
      • News
      • Publications
      • Annual Meeting
      • Annual Reports
      • Co-ops Vote
    • About EIEC
      • About Us
      • Board of Directors
      • Employees
      • Service Territory
      • Employment
    • Co-op Information
      • What Makes Co-ops Different?
      • Power Supply
      • Governance
      • Touchstone Energy
  • My Community
    • Community Involvement
      • Co-op Connections
      • Request a Speaker
      • Sharing Success Program
      • Grassroots Advocacy
    • Educational Programs
      • Empowering Education Grant Program
      • Youth to Washington Program
      • School Presentations
      • IEC Scholarship Program
  • Energy Solutions
    • Save Money
      • Energy Efficiency
      • Together We Save
      • Geothermal & Air-Source Heat Pumps
      • Insulation
      • Request an Energy Evaluation
    • Energy Programs
      • Heat Pump Rebate Program
      • Business Development
      • Standby Generators
      • Electric Vehicles
    • Renewable Energy
      • General Information
      • Net Metering
      • Net Billing
      • Qualifying Facilities
      • Bright Options Solar
  • Safety
    • Call Before You Dig
    • Safety Tips
    • Storm Safety
    • Safety Quiz
    • Outdoor Lighting