FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – As you prepare for the holiday season, Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) has a few tips to stay safe while decorating.

Lighting Safety
• Inspect, discard and replace damaged sockets, loose connections and frayed or bare
wires before starting to decorate.
• Unplug lights when changing bulbs. Don’t connect lights while adjusting them on a tree
or your home.
• Don’t let bulbs touch flammable material, including needles, branches and other
decorations.
• Check for overheard powerlines before using a ladder outside while hanging lights.
• Turn off all holiday lights and decorations when you leave your house or go to bed.

Electrical Cord Safety
• Avoid overloading electrical outlets with too many decorations or electrical devices. They
can overheat and cause a fire.
• Never use staples and nails to secure lights or decorations as they can damage
electrical cords.
• Never use more than three standard-sized sets of lights per extension cord. Also make
sure you use outdoor and indoor specific light strands/extension cords accordingly.
• Plug exterior lights into ground-fault interruptible (GFI) outlets only. If your home lacks
outside GFI outlets, call an electrician to install them.
• Before decorating, determine how many outlets are available and where they are
located. Plan your displays accordingly to avoid tripping over cords.

There are also ways you can make the holidays glow and not your energy bill. You can decorate
your home with LED lights as they use 90% less energy than traditional bulbs.

For more ways to decorate your home efficiently, visit electricideas.com.