safety — *Decorating with holiday lights. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO*

SAN FRANCISCO – It’s the time of year many people think about how they’ll decorate their homes and businesses for the holiday season. They should give proper attention to decorating safely.

While holiday lighting truly adds to the season, it can also significantly increase the potential for fire risk, injury and electric shock if the proper precautions aren’t followed while decorating, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reminds customers.

Adding to possible safety risks, older, non-energy-efficient lighting can severely impact customers’ power bills.

“We’re asking our customers to please be safe while trimming the tree and decking the halls over the next few weeks,” said Laurie Giammona, PG&E’s chief customer officer.

“Brightening our communities with holiday lights is a great tradition, but we need everyone to be aware of their surroundings to avoid electric hazards and to prevent fires. Our safety tips are simple to follow and help make sure everyone has a safe and joyful holiday,” Giammona added.

To ensure that customers remain safe throughout the holiday, PG&E offers the following safety tips that customers can use as they decorate for the season:

Use LED Holiday Lights

Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights consume 75 percent less energy than traditional incandescent lights, helping customers save money on their power bills during the holiday season

LED lights produce almost no heat, making them safe to touch and greatly reducing the risk of fir

LED lights are also break resistant and shock resistant

Avoid Electric Hazards

Look up and live. Before climbing ladders to string outdoor lights, check for overhead power lines nearby. Be especially aware of lines over your roof and lines attached to your home. Look up before raising ladders and other tall objects. Keep at least 10 feet away from overhead lines at all times

Never place yourself or any object such as a string of lights in a position that risks contact with a power line—the result can be fatal

Before stringing lights on outdoor trees, make sure tree limbs haven’t grown into or near power lines. Branches, entire trees and even the ground adjacent to a tree can become energized when trees contact power lines

Prevent Fire Hazards

Avoid overloading extension cords and wall sockets by follow the manufacturer’s limits for the number of light strings that can be safely connected together

Check all light strands for cracked or broken plugs, frayed insulation or bare wires. Worn cords can cause fires, so discard damaged sets of lights

Don’t place cords under rugs, furniture or other appliances. If covered, cords can overheat or become frayed, increasing the risk of fire

Always turn off decorative lights—indoors and outdoors—when leaving the house and before going to bed

Do not place your holiday tree near a heat source such as a fireplace or heat vent. The heat will dry out the tree, making it more susceptible to fires caused by heat, flame or sparks.