ComEd and 93.9 WLIT 'The Holiday Lite' Provide Tips to Stay Safe During the Season and Be Energy Efficient

ComEd and 93.9 WLIT 'The Holiday Lite' Provide Tips to Stay Safe During the Season and Be Energy Efficient

CHICAGO, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- ComEd and 93.9 WLIT "The Holiday Lite" have joined forces to educate consumers about how to save money and stay safe this holiday season.

As a result of a partnership established this week, ComEd and WLIT will promote holiday safety and energy efficiency tips through media interviews, broadcast public service announcements on WLIT, and the Web sites http://www.comedcare.com/ and http://www.wlit.com/.

"We know the holidays are a special time for families and we want to work with ComEd to make sure the holidays continue to be special by helping customers reduce the risk of injury associated with holiday lighting and decorating," said Darren Davis, vice president of Programming & Operations for Clear Channel Radio Chicago.

"In addition to making it a safe holiday, ComEd and WLIT want people to know about energy-saving options that can reduce customers' bills and make the holidays even more enjoyable," said Sharon Hillman, ComEd vice president of Marketing and Environmental Programs.

Staying safe this holiday season

The top five days for house fires are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Dec. 26 and 27, and New Year's Day, according to the National Safety Council. Each year more than 400 residential fires involve Christmas trees, resulting in nearly 400 deaths and 100 injuries.

Here are 10 safety tips regarding holiday trees and lighting:

1). Check wires, plugs and sockets for defects. Remember: If in
doubt -- throw them out.
2). Do not overload outlets and extension cords.
3). Turn off all decorative lights when going to bed or leaving the
house.
4). Outdoor lights should be approved for outdoor use and hung with
insulated staples or hooks rather than nails or tacks.
5). When decorating outdoors, be aware of all power lines. Do not work
near overhead power lines or anywhere there is a possibility of
contacting an overhead power line, either directly or indirectly
with a ladder or other piece of equipment.
6). Make sure natural grown trees are fresh and placed in a sturdy
stand. A large tree should be anchored to prevent it from toppling
over and possibly catching fire.
7). Be sure to place trees away from fireplaces, radiators, television
sets, and other sources of heat that may prematurely dry out the
tree and make it more susceptible to fire. Make sure the tree has
a sufficient amount of water at all times.
8). Do not burn wrapping paper or boxes in the fireplace. These types
of materials ignite quickly and may burn uncontrollably. Wrapping
paper also may not always burn completely and can become lodged in
the chimney, creating a fire hazard.
9). When cleaning out fireplaces, place ashes in a metal container and
store outdoors away from combustibles. Ashes can remain hot for
several hours, if not days. Discard ashes only when they have
completely cooled.
10). New Year's Eve often is celebrated with fireworks. Always leave
fireworks to the professionals!

Reduce energy use and save money for holiday shopping

Here are some simple tips that can be done right now to help keep your home safe and warm and your energy bill low:

-- Check for drafts around windows and doors, and seal up any openings
with weather stripping. A drafty house lets warm air escape and is
much more costly to keep warm.
-- Keep the fireplace damper closed tightly when not in use.
-- Keep heating vents clean and do not cover ducts with drapes or
furniture that can block the airflow and possibly cause a fire.
-- Close off unoccupied rooms and regulate individual room temperatures.
-- Keep your thermostat set at a constant, comfort level, usually
68 - 70 degrees. Or, consider installing a programmable thermostat.
These thermostats automatically regulate temperatures for increased
comfort and savings.
-- Replace the filter for your heat pump or furnace for the new heating
season. Dirty filters block airflow and force equipment to work
harder.
-- Wrap water heaters with an insulation blanket.

Look for more information about holiday safety and energy efficiency tips at http://www.comedcare.com/ and http://www.wlit.com/.

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC), one of the nation's largest electric utilities with approximately 5.4 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately 3.8 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Commonwealth Edison Company

CONTACT: ComEd Media Relations, +1-312-394-3500

Web site:

http://www.comedcare.com/
http://www.wlit.com/

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