Tips for a safe holiday season

PHILADELPHIA (December 10, 2014) – The holiday season is upon us, bringing decorations, festivities and holiday cheer!  PECO offers the following tips and suggestions to get in the holiday spirit while staying safe.

 Holiday Lighting Safety Tips

• Only decorate with lights approved by the Underwriter's Laboratory (UL).
• Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for the number of lights that can be safely connected together.
• Check all lights for cracked or broken plugs, loose connections, frayed insulation or exposed (bare) wires.
• Discard damaged sets of lights. 
• Turn off all decorative lights when going to bed or leaving the house.
• Consider using energy efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lighting products. These products produce about 75 percent less heat, and are safer to operate than traditional incandescent bulbs.

 Outdoor Lighting Safety Tips

• Ensure decorative lights used outside are approved for outdoor use.
• Hang outdoor lights with insulated staples or hooks rather than nails or tacks.
• Always be aware of all power lines when decorating outdoors. Never work near overhead power lines or anywhere there is a possibility of contacting an overhead power line, either directly or indirectly with a ladder or other piece of equipment. Do not string lights on outdoor trees that are growing into or near power lines.

 Indoor Lighting Safety Tips

• Ensure cords inside your home do not pose a tripping hazard.
• Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords.
• Do not place cords under rugs, furniture or other appliances. Covered cords can overheat or become frayed and can cause a fire.
• Keep all electric cords and extension cords out of the reach of children.

 PECO wishes all its customers a safe, happy and energy efficient holiday season!

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Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC).  PECO serves 1.6 million electric and more than 500,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania and employs about 2,400 people in the region.  PECO delivered 85.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 37.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2013.  Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.  For more information visit PECO.com, and connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter.

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