Last Updated on January 5, 2018 3:49 pm
Lenoir, NC (January 5, 2018) – During severely cold weather, Blue Ridge Energy recommends the following safety tips to protect your family and home:
- Prevent pipes from freezing by allowing faucets to drip during extreme cold.
- Place space heaters on a solid surface at least three feet away from anything flammable. Always turn off space heaters before leaving the room or going to sleep.
- Never leave a fireplace unless its embers are completely extinguished, and use a fire screen to catch sparks and rolling logs.
- If back up power generators are used during an outage, they should be placed in an open and ventilated area. They should never be operated inside a home—including in spaces like the basement and garage—due to the danger of inhaling carbon monoxide fumes. Additionally, to avoid back-feeding of electricity and potentially harming line technicians, always have a qualified, licensed electrician install a double-pole, double-throw transfer switch between the generator and utility power in compliance with state and local electrical codes.
- Never touch a downed power line or try to remove trees or limbs from lines. Report it immediately by calling Blue Ridge Energy at 1-800-451-5474.
For more safety tips, visit the Storm Room at www.BlueRidgeEnergy.com.