NSTAR Offers Holiday Safety and Efficiency Tips

Business Wire, Dec 5, 2007

BOSTON -- 'Tis the season when thoughts turn to holiday decorating. NSTAR reminds customers to be safe and energy conscious this year, and offers the following holiday advice.

When decorating, it's important to keep the following basic safety tips in mind:

* Make sure that electrical circuits and extension cords are properly rated and not overloaded.

* Use only lights and electric decorations that carry the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) safety label.

* Before reusing last year's lights, inspect them for damage to wires or sockets.

* Always unplug a light string or decoration before replacing fuses or bulbs.

* To avoid overheating or damage, never run electrical cords under rugs.

* Be sure to look for overhead power lines before raising or climbing a ladder outdoors.

* Use only outdoor-approved lighting and extension cords when decorating outdoors.

* Plug outdoor lights and decorations into outlets protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters.

How much a holiday display will increase an average electric bill varies by the number of lights used and how long they are on. A good way to keep bills down without sacrificing the spirit of the season is to use timers to control when the lights go on and off. Making sure decorations are off before leaving home or going to bed is safe and efficient.

Improvements over the years in the efficiency of decorations have also helped lower energy use. Miniature holiday lights, for example, have replaced larger bulbs in most decorations. Commonly sold in 50 or 100 light strings, they use only half-a-watt per bulb. For even greater savings, the latest improvement in holiday lighting is decorations with Light Emitting Diodes instead of bulbs. LED's use 90 percent less energy, are more durable and can last years longer. Operating ten strings of mini-LED lights as compared to ten strings of standard mini-lights can save nearly $12 in energy costs in one month.

For energy-saving tips and programs that can help save money year-round, visit: www.nstar.com.

NSTAR is the largest Massachusetts-based, investor-owned electric and gas utility. The company transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in Eastern and Central Massachusetts, including more than one million electric customers in 81 communities and 300,000 gas customers in 51 communities.