Customers: Use Electric Space Heaters Correctly, Safely

(FORT WORTH, TEXAS) – As temperatures drop, First Choice Power reminds its customers that electric space heaters may be a cost-effective way to keep heating bills under control – if used correctly and safely.

Although the trade-off in comfort may be undesirable to some customers, using an electric space heater in small spaces can be cost-effective if the customer turns down the furnace thermostat several degrees.

First Choice Power offers 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.
• 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.

In addition to using a space heater safely, First Choice Power warns customers not to use ovens, stove burners or outdoor grills 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 use to heat the inside of a home.

Based in Fort Worth, Texas, First Choice Power is the fourth-largest retail electric provider in the state. First Choice Power is one of four subsidiaries of PNM Resources, an investor-owned energy holding company with $5.8 billion in total assets. For more information, visit FirstChoicePower.com.

 

First Choice Power Special Purpose, L.P. | PUCT REP Certification No. 10008

First Choice Power Media Contact
Catherine K. Carlton (469) 484-8686
Media Relations
First Choice Power

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