ANAHEIM, CA (November 22, 2005) - In conjunction with the City of Anaheim’s first annual Holiday Lights Tour, Anaheim Public Utilities is offering customers several energy-efficiency holiday lighting tips. During the rush of the holiday season, it’s tempting to take shortcuts and forget a very important thing - SAFETY! Keep your home, yourself and your family safe by following these important tips:

• Use holiday lights that conform to UL safety standards.
• Check each set of lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires or loose connections.
• Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.
• Use only insulated staples or plastic clips to hang lights in place, not nails or tacks.
• Before replacing a burned-out bulb, unplug the strand of lights.
• When replacing a miniature bulb, firmly hold the base of the bulb—not just the glass—and pull it out straight, keeping the bulb and base intact.
• Turn holiday lighting on after 7 p.m. to conserve energy and help keep Anaheim’s electric rates low.

Utilities further recommends that residents consider purchasing Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights, an energy-efficient choice for holiday decorative indoor and outdoor lighting. These lights are available in local hardware and home improvement stores.

“LED lights use one-tenth the energy of the mini-lights and much less energy than larger lights, which use about 50 times more energy,” said Marcie Edwards, General Manager, Anaheim Public Utilities. “They have an average burn time of over 25,000 hours, are cool to the touch so as to never be a fire hazard no matter how long they are on, may be used inside or outside, and cannot be easily broken or damaged like the traditional lights.”

Utilities will be airing holiday safety tips daily during the week of Dec. 12-16 on ESPN Radio 710, KSPN-AM. For additional energy-saving tips, visit www.anaheim.net and click on Public Utilities under City Departments.