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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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Mississippi County Electric Cooperative

474 East State Highway 18
Blytheville, AR 72315

Office: (870) 763-4563
Outages: 1-800-439-4563

About Us

Mississippi County Electric Cooperative

Your local power provider, serving northern Mississippi County, Arkansas.  Please look around and discover all the things your co-op has to offer.

Mission Statement:

Improving the quality of life for our members by providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity

 

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Organization
      • Officers & Directors
      • Meet Our People
    • Touchstone Energy Cooperative
      • About Touchstone Energy
      • The Seven Cooperative Principles
      • The Cooperative Difference
      • Touchstone Energy
    • Documents
      • Annual Report
      • Bylaws
      • Privacy Policy
    • Community
      • Community Service
      • Employment
      • Service Area Map
  • Account Services
    • Account Service
      • New Account/Service
      • Levelized Billing
      • Automatic Bank Draft
    • Service
      • Stopping Service
      • Rates, Fees & Services
    • Benefits
      • General Information
      • Capital Credits
      • Payment Assistance
  • Member Resources
    • Information
      • What is Demand
      • Paying Your Bill
      • Reading Your Bill
      • Residential Energy Efficiency Resources
      • Call Before You Dig
      • 65+ or Handicapped
      • Sales Tax Exemption
      • FAQ
    • News
      • News and Events
      • Arkansas Living Magazine
    • Member Services
      • Co-op Connections Card
      • Together We Save
    • Exede/Wildblue Users
      • Exede/Wildblue Email
      • My WildBlue
    • Outage Tools
      • Outage Reporting
      • Outage Restoration
    • Communications Opt In/Out
      • Email Communications Opt In/Out Form
      • Load Management Communications
    • Recipes
    • Recommended Links
  • Products and Programs
    • Products
      • Internet Service
      • Compact Fluorescent Lights
      • Marathon Water Heaters
      • Heat Pumps
    • Programs
      • Green Power
      • Energy Audits
      • Security Lights
      • Youth Tour
    • SmartHub
      • Smarthub Account Management
      • SmartHub Pay Now
      • SmartHub - What is it? How do I get it?
      • FAQ's
    • Electrical Safety
      • Electric Safety and Efficiency
      • General Electrical Safety Tips
      • Kids Safety Tips
    • Activities
      • Safety Checklist
      • Safety Quiz
      • Safety Programs
  • Contact Us