May Your Days Be Merry and Bright:
 Holiday Lighting Tips

To many people, the holiday season is synonymous with bright lights. But those cheery lights are often followed by depressing electric bills. Following are a few tips to help you have your light, be
safe and conserve energy, too.

Size of Bulbs
There are many choices to make among lighting sets. The larger traditional holiday lights — the kind used in night-lights — may use as much as 10 watts per bulb; thus a string of 50 consumes 500 watts. And because one string never seems to be enough, 1,000 watts may be used to show holiday spirit. These larger bulbs are more costly.

These bulbs also generate heat. Think of those two strings as a 1,000-watt space heater. This heat from the individual bulbs can melt things and poses a burn hazard to anyone touching the lights.

Many people choose the mini-bulb sets. These strands are lower wattage, about 25 watts per 50-bulb strand.  They are cheaper to operate, too. With much lower operating and purchase costs, the mini-bulbs have become very popular for lighting displays.

Hours of Operation
Rather than turning the lights on when you get home in the evening and then shutting them off in the morning, consider putting the lights on inexpensive outlet timers. That way, you can have the light come on automatically just before you get home —enjoy them as you approach your house — and time them to turn off at 10 p.m. or so.

Safety
When planning your holiday lighting scheme, keep these safety tips in mind:

• Be sure the strings of lights you purchase are approved by Underwriters Laboratories. The UL approval means that representative sets of these lights have been tested for safety.

• Only use lights outdoors that are approved for outdoor use.

• Check last year’s strings of lights for broken bulbs, frayed wires, damaged sockets or cracked insulation.

• If you have a real tree, unplug tree lights before watering the tree; and do keep the tree watered, as hot bulbs may ignite dry branches. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby.

• Be careful with holiday candles. Don’t place lit candles in unsupervised areas where children can play with them. Don’t go to sleep with candles burning.

• Put your tree lights on timers, or be sure to turn them off before retiring for the night.

• Turn on your tree lights only when you are at home.

• Don’t overload circuits. If you are using extension cords, be sure to add up everything on one circuit: tree lights, lamps, appliances, and electrical equipment.

• Make sure extension cords are approved for the specific use, such as indoor and/or outdoor. Do not try to bypass any grounded plugs by removing or rigging the plugs.

Top of Page

  

 
Classroom Innovation Grants
 Available for Teachers

First Choice Power Classroom Innovation
Grants provide resources to teachers with innovative and creative teaching ideas. We know teachers possess the power to engage the minds of their students. Providing tools and resources to teachers turns innovative ideas into excitement and learning for multitudes of students.

Full-time K-12 teachers and pre-K teachers with an early childhood license in communities served by First Choice Power are eligible to apply for grants between $500 and $3,000.

Applications must be submitted online before 6 p.m., Feb. 5, 2007. Only online applications will be accepted. Visit www.FirstChoicePower.com/Fund for more information.

Top of Page

Space Heaters Can Help Keep Heating Bills Down – Just Be Safe!

Electric space heaters can be a cost-effective way to keep heating bills under control when used in small spaces in combination with a lower thermostat setting. Just be sure they are used correctly
and safely.

Here are several ways to increase the efficiency and safety of space heaters:

• Other heating systems, including central heating, should be turned down to 62 degrees or lower when the space heater is being used.

• The space heater should be used for personal comfort when the room is occupied, not for general space heating.

• Do not use a space heater when sleeping.

• Avoid running a space heater for more than four hours at a time.

• The occupied room should be closed off from the rest of the house when the space heater is in use.

• Do not use older space heaters that may not meet current safety standards.

• Give portable space heaters at least three feet of clearance from anything that can burn.

• Don’t use an extension cord with electric space heaters; the high amount of current they require could melt the cord and start a fire.

While space heaters may be used safely and effectively, don’t attempt to use an oven, stove burner or outdoor grill for indoor heating. Carbon monoxide produced by outdoor grills is generally not a problem in vented, outdoor areas, but it can quickly become deadly if confined to the inside of a home. Similarly, gas stoves and ranges produce carbon monoxide that can become a problem with prolonged, improper operation – such as when used to heat the inside of a home.

For more energy conservation tips, visit us online at www.FirstChoicePower.com.

Top of Page

   

 
The 2006-'07 Cookbook Is Now Available

The First Choice Power cookbook will soon be shipped to customers who have ordered it through the Simply Better Rewards Program.

If you would like one, but haven't ordered your copy yet, they're only 100 points (which you get just by signing up). Just visit www.SimplyBetterRewards.com for more information or to order your copy.

Top of Page

 New Bill Format and New Account Number Coming Soon!

Starting early next year, you will see our new, easy-to-read First Choice Power bill. You also will have a new First Choice Power account number.

Please note you will need your new account number when you call about your bill or when you pay your bills online.

Excellent customer communication is one more way First Choice Power is Simply Better.

Top of Page

 First Choice Power Special Purpose, L.P. / PUC Rep Cert #10008