Indiana Michigan Power Company

11/24/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/24/2021 12:31

Indiana Michigan Power is Helping Customers Save Energy and Stay Safe During Holiday Decorating

FORT WAYNE, Ind., November 24, 2022 - With Thanksgiving tomorrow, people will soon be putting up their holiday decorations.

Decorating for the holiday season is a great way to spread cheer, but it can make a costly and hazardous time of year even more expensive and dangerous. Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is providing customers with energy efficient holiday decoration ideas and safety reminders to get into the holiday spirit.

According to the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), in 1882, Thomas Edison, who invented the incandescent light bulb, showed off to reporters the strings of electric lights around his holiday tree at his New Jersey home. Since then, electric lights have helped customers celebrate the holidays. Fast forward to today and our technology is more energy efficient, but we still need to be safe.

"Indiana Michigan Power is dedicated to making your holidays bright, efficient and safe," said Heather Riggle, Energy Efficiency Residential Accounts manager for I&M. "If you're using one string of lights or going all out like Clark Griswold in the movie 'Christmas Vacation', it's always important to review safety procedures if decorating is part of your holiday tradition. Customers can create great displays or décor while being environmentally friendly and safe. We hope all of our 500,000 plus customers we serve have a safe and happy holiday season."

Here are a few tips on how customers can decorate for the holidays while conserving energy and staying safe.

Deck The Halls and Conserve Energy:

Lights hung on trees or roofs are a great way to make your home or business shine during the holiday season. You can decorate and save money using these energy efficient ideas.

  • Customers can purchase LED and strand lights to decorate and save energy. ENERGY STAR® qualified LED lights use 90% less energy than traditional bulbs - which means the cost to light a typical tree with LEDs is about $1 per season. LED lights generate less heat, are cool to the touch and can last up to 10 years. They're brighter, eco-friendly and safer, since they are much cooler than incandescent lights. LED flameless candles are safe and energy efficient alternatives to candles.
  • Customers can use path lights that come in festive designs and welcome people into their homes or businesses. Line the walkway with LED lights to save money and keep everyone safe as they enter.
  • Customers can decorate without using electricity. Place ornaments in a glass jar for table decorations, add tinsel and bows for a touch of sparkle, or place figurines on office surfaces such as desks, shelves and countertops.
  • Customers can use greenery for garland, indoor or outdoor wreaths and floral arrangements. Real or faux, greenery doesn't use energy. Add LED lights and festive ribbon for an extra touch.
  • Customers can use smart power strips to corral extra cords. These strips can sense when a device is turned off or not being used and will shut off the power automatically. Be sure to visit Electricideas.com to compare energy efficiency ratings to save money on smart power strips.
  • Customers should consider using automatic timers. These will turn lights off when you leave your home or office.

For more than 100 energy efficiency tips, rebates and energy efficient efforts visit: www.electricideas.com.

12 Safety Tips

Having a happy holiday season with your friends, family and loved ones means having a safe holiday. Before you decorate, follow I&M's top 12 tips of safety.

  • Before installing lights, check each set - new and old - for damaged sockets, loose connections and frayed or bare wires. Discard damaged sets or repair them before using.
  • Never use more than three standard-sized sets of lights per extension cord.
  • Plug exterior lights into ground-fault interruptible (GFI) outlets only. If the home lacks outside GFI outlets, call an electrician to install them.
  • Don't run electrical cords through door or window openings where they can be damaged.
  • Before climbing a ladder, inspect it to ensure it's in good working condition, and follow the weight limits specified on the ladder and manufacturer instructions.
  • Never use a ladder on or near power lines or poles.
  • Before decorating, determine how many outlets are available and where they are located. Plan your displays accordingly to avoid anyone from tripping over cords.
  • Avoid overloading electrical outlets with too many decorations or electrical devices. They can overheat and cause a fire.
  • Don't connect lights while adjusting them on the tree. Unplug lights when changing bulbs.
  • Don't let bulbs touch flammable material, including needles, branches and other decorations.
  • Make sure household smoke detectors are working properly.
  • Warn children never to touch tree lights or electric toys with wet hands.

For more safety tips visit: www.IndianaMichiganPower.com/safety.

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ABOUT INDIANA MICHIGAN POWER: Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its approximately 2,100 employees serve more than 600,000 customers. More than 85% of its energy delivered in 2020 was emission-free. I&M has at its availability various sources of generation including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, more than 22 MW of hydro generation in both states, nearly 35 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states, and 2,620 MW of coal-fueled generation in Indiana.

ABOUT AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER: American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP's approximately 16,800 employees operate and maintain the nation's largest electricity transmission system and more than 223,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.5 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation's largest electricity producers with approximately 30,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including more than 5,500 megawatts of renewable energy. AEP's family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy Partners, AEP OnSite Partners, and AEP Renewables, which provide innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information, visit aep.com.

News releases and other information about I&M are available at IndianaMichiganPower.com