The holiday season comes with traditions of festive lights and decorations. Unfortunately, without proper safety precautions, time-honored traditions can easily go from merry to scary.

When you’re decorating, make sure not to run cords under rugs or furniture, and inspect cords for breaks and damaged prongs before using them. Lights for indoor use should not be hung outside.

If your family enjoys a live tree, water it daily and discard it when it becomes dry and begins to drop needles. Don’t forget to keep all decorations at least three feet away from heat sources – especially fireplaces, candles or any open flame.

To save time and money, use a timer to turn lights on in the evening and off before sunrise. Use lights that are light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which use one-tenth the energy of traditional mini-lights, and are cooler to the touch, reducing the risk of fire.

A practical gift for your family this holiday season would be to install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets where needed. These outlets automatically shut off a circuit when it is overloaded. Many electrical fires that occur every year could be prevented by GFCIs.

Blue Grass Energy wishes you and your family a safe and celebrated holiday season.