12.1.2008

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The holiday decorating season is at hand and lots of electric lights and decorations will be hung with care. With that in mind, people can make their holidays safer and more enjoyable by first taking some safety precautions. And, some of the decorating lighting costs can be less by switching to energy-efficient lights. Here are some tips on electrical safety and energy savings.

• Check, and, if needed, replace batteries in smoke detectors.
• Check every set of holiday lights for frayed or bare wires, loose connections or broken sockets. Throw away damaged sets.
• Always replace burned-out holiday bulbs with bulbs of the same wattage.
• Choose only lights that have been tested for safety by an independent agency, such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL).
• Lower operating costs and increase safety by using LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting. LEDs use up to 10 times less energy than incandescent mini-lights and up to 100 times less energy than standard bulbs.

• Decorate the outside of your home only during daylight hours so it's easy to see power lines and avoid them with your ladder. Always carry ladders parallel to the ground and look up to check for power lines before setting ladders down.
• Use only decorations made specifically for outdoor use and ground fault circuit interrupters for added safety.
• Before stringing lights in outdoor trees, check to be sure the tree hasn't grown too close to power lines. If it comes in contact with the power lines, the entire tree could be electrified.

• Locate the tree away from heat sources that could dry it out, such as heating ducts, radiators, the fireplace or the television. Keep the tree stand filled with water and preservative to prevent the tree from drying out.
• Remember the rule of three: Use no more than three sets of lights on a single extension cord to avoid the risk of it overheating.
• Trim your tree with only flame-resistant materials, including tinsel or artificial icicles made of plastic or lead-free metal. Leaded materials are hazardous if children eat them.
• Do not run cords under rugs, through doorways, around sharp corners or over radiators or pipes.
• Connect decorative lights to multi-outlet power strips that contain their own breakers. Simple extension cords are meant to be just that...extension cords, not multi-plug outlets.
• Use candleholders that won't tip and light candles only when they're held securely in the holders.
• Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles out of reach of children and pets.
• Do not use water on an electrical fire.

Always turn off holiday lights, including the tree — and blow out any lit candles — before going to bed or leaving your home. Visit www.eon-us.com for more information about holiday safety.

E.ON U.S., headquartered in Louisville, Ky., is a subsidiary of E.ON A.G., the world's largest investor-owned energy services provider. E.ON U.S. is a diversified energy services company that owns and operates Louisville Gas and Electric Company, a regulated utility that serves 324,000 natural gas and 398,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties, and Kentucky Utilities Company, a regulated electric utility in Lexington, Ky., that serves 531,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia.