SRP Stresses Safety with Holiday Lighting, Decorations

It’s the time of year when homes are filled with beautiful and fun decorative lights – but it’s also a dangerous time when fire hazards can threaten holiday cheer. As the Valley’s largest electric provider, Salt River Project is encouraging customers to stay safe this holiday season as they plug in holiday decorative lights, surge protectors and extension cords.

Each year, hundreds of homes are damaged or destroyed by fires that start with overloaded circuits, Christmas trees or holiday lights, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Annual Safety Tips:

• Don’t overload outlets or extension cords.
• Check each set of lights, new or old, for broken or cracked sockets, loose connections or frayed or bare wires. Discard all damaged cords.
• Indoors or out, use only lights that have been tested for safety. The lights should have the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) label.
• Uncoil extension cords completely before using and be sure to place them away from heat sources and bulbs.
• Unplug tree lights and decorative outdoor lighting before leaving the house or going to bed.
• Indoor and outdoor automatic lighting timers can be used to ensure that lights are not left on by mistake.
• Keep cords out of water, away from metal objects and tucked away or taped down to eliminate tripping hazards.

SRP offers free materials to learn more about electric safety including a bilingual, downloadable Electrical Safety Coloring Book for kids, visit srpnet.com/holiday for more tips.

Win Prizes and Stay Safe:

SRP customers can also see how safety savvy they are with the online, 2020 SRP Holiday Electric Safety Quiz. Until Dec. 16, 2020, customers can attempt to win one of 10 Wemo smart plugs sold on www.srpmarketplace.com worth about $25 by completing the entry form and taking the safety quiz at https://blog.srpnet.com/holiday-electric-safety-quiz-giveaway/.