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Xcel Energy offers holiday lighting tips

MINNEAPOLIS - The holiday season is here again, and Xcel Energy recommends the following safety tips when hanging holiday lights:

• Plan decorating and lighting ahead of time to reduce any potential safety hazards.
• Use only Underwriters’ Laboratory-approved lights. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for indoor and outdoor lighting.
• Before placing holiday lights outside on your house or in trees, look up to locate any overhead power lines, then keep all objects such as ladders and extension poles more than 10 feet away. Never toss lights up and over an overhead power line.
• Check the cords on strings of lights and replace any that are frayed or worn. Discard all that are in poor condition. Also check for loose connections and damaged plugs or light sockets.
• Plug in lights before stringing them to determine whether any bulbs are burned out. Then, to minimize the risk of accidents, unplug the lights before putting them on the tree or hanging them elsewhere.
• Avoid attaching too many light strings together and plugging them into one receptacle. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for proper use and the maximum recommended number of strings per receptacle.
• Use energy safely and wisely. Unplug lights when you are asleep or away from home.
• Keep lights away from flammable and combustible materials, including draperies.
• Keep lights away from metal railings and banisters, which can become energized if the wire has a short circuit. Avoid stringing lights along aluminum siding, which can conduct electricity. Never use lights on metallic trees.
• Avoid using rooftop decorations that block vents or vent pipes.

Xcel Energy wishes everyone a safe holiday season.