Time to light up the holidays...safely

Are you ready to adorn your house with those bright, festive holiday lights? Sure you are. But remember: safety first. 

• Perform a thorough inspection of your lights. Make sure there are no frayed wires, loose sockets or damaged connections. 
• Don’t overload electrical outlets. Use more than one outlet or use extension cords to ease the strain on a single outlet. 
• Link only as many strands of lights together as the manufacturer says is safe. Otherwise, you risk a blown fuse...or worse. 
• Make sure your lights are securely fastened. They should be able to withstand strong winds that may blow through from time to time. If the lights get blown off, they could become a safety hazard. 
• Remember to turn the lights off when you go to bed or you’re away from home. You may want to use a timer to shut them off at the same time every night. 

Finally, consider using LED lights. They are more energy efficient and will have less of an impact on your electricity usage.