PG&E Urges Customers to Focus on Safely Heating Their Homes as Temperatures Dip
December 05 2016 - 12:00PM
Business Wire
With temperatures expected to drop in Northern and Central
California this week, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
urges customers to be cautious when heating their homes.
Electric heating devices, such as space heaters, are a home fire
hazard when not properly used or monitored. Fuel-burning
appliances, such as gas furnaces, stoves and water heaters, can
increase the risk of carbon monoxide, a toxic gas, when they are
not working properly.
“We want our customers to be warm this winter, but most
importantly we want them to be safe. Space heaters should only be
used as a supplemental source of heat. They are not intended to
replace the home’s central heating system and, when not used
properly, can create serious safety hazards,” said Jake Zigelman,
Director of Local Customer Experience at PG&E.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, heating
equipment is the second leading cause of home fires in the United
States and from 2009 to 2013, accounted for 56,000 structure fires
per year. Nearly half of these fires occur from December through
February. The leading contributing factor to space heater fires is
heating equipment too close to objects that can burn, such as
furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding.
PG&E urges customers to focus on safely heating their homes
as temperatures dip and offers the following tips:
- Place space heaters on level, hard,
nonflammable surfaces, not on rugs or carpets.
- Don’t put objects on space heaters or
use them to dry clothes or shoes.
- Turn off space heaters when leaving the
room or going to sleep.
- Keep all flammable materials at least
three feet away from heating sources and supervise children when a
space heater or fireplace is being used.
- Never use cooking devices such as ovens
or stoves for home heating purposes.
- Install carbon monoxide detectors to
warn you if concentration levels are high. As of 2011, all
California single-family homes are required to have carbon monoxide
detectors. Make sure they are installed near sleeping areas and
replace the batteries at least twice a year.
- When using the fireplace to stay warm,
make sure the flue is open so that the byproducts of combustion can
vent safely through the chimney.
- Never use products inside the home that
generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, such as generators,
barbecues, propane heaters and charcoal.
If customers suspect there is a problem with a natural gas
appliance inside their home, they should call PG&E at
1-800-743-5000. A gas service representative will be dispatched to
do a thorough inspection. If you detect carbon monoxide in your
home, you should get out immediately and call 911.
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E
Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas
and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San
Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers
some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in
Northern and Central California. For more information, visit
www.pge.com/ and pge.com/news.
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Pacific Gas and Electric CompanyAbby Figeroa, 415-973-5930
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