{"id":140097,"date":"2021-02-10T07:13:11","date_gmt":"2021-02-10T12:13:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=140097"},"modified":"2021-02-10T07:13:16","modified_gmt":"2021-02-10T12:13:16","slug":"ppec-provides-space-heater-safety-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2021\/02\/10\/ppec-provides-space-heater-safety-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"PPEC provides space heater safety tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>VW independent\/submitted information<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Freezing temperatures may have people reaching for their space heater \u2026 but their local electric cooperative is asking them to think twice. Electric space heaters are convenient, but don\u2019t forget about their high cost and the safety precautions that may get overlooked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During this time of frigid single digit temperatures,\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/ppec.coop\/\" target=\"_blank\">Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative (PPEC)<\/a>\u00a0wants to help its member-owners avoid unexpected high winter electric bills, and fire and electric shock hazards from space heaters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"257\" src=\"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Space-heater-image-2-2021.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-140098\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHeating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires in the United States,\u201d said PPEC Energy Advisor Peter Niagu. \u201cSafety should always be a top consideration when using electric space heaters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Always inspect the heater for cracked or broken plugs before each use. To avoid overheating an outlet, which could result in a fire, plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet, and never use an extension cord or plug any other devices into the same outlet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When using electric space heaters, always check the manufacturer\u2019s recommendations. Here are a few basic safety tips to keep in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Never place flammable objects such as curtains, bedspreads, table clothes or cleaning supplies closer than 3 feet.<\/li><li>Never use near wet areas such as kitchen sinks, baths, showers, etc.<\/li><li>Be careful to place on a stable flat surface to avoid tipping over.<\/li><li>Keep away from children and pets. Even a brief touch can cause severe burns.<\/li><li>Be sure to check for frayed insulation on cords and never use with an extension cord.<\/li><li>Turn off space heaters when you are not in the room or when you go to sleep.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Cost is another factor to consider when using space heaters. For example, using two space heaters for just two hours a day could add nearly $20 to a monthly electric bill.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To see how much a space heater costs to operate, visit an area cooperative\u2019s website to find their space heater energy calculator. PPEC\u2019s space heater calculator can be found by visiting&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ppec.coop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.PPEC.coop<\/a>&nbsp;and clicking the blue \u201cEnergy Calculators\u201d button at the top of the page, then \u201cHeating and Cooling.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSpace heaters warm people, not rooms,\u201d Niagu said. \u201cDon\u2019t try to heat your entire home with them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To stay warm without turning up the heat, try these tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Dress in layers.<\/li><li>Use blankets.<\/li><li>Try microwavable heating pads.<\/li><li>Leave an oven door open after baking to release the heat (but do not attempt to heat a room by keeping an oven open while it is running).<\/li><li>Keep feet warm with thick socks or slippers.<\/li><li>Drink warm beverages (warms you from the inside out and keeps hands warm)<\/li><li>Reverse a ceiling fan so it spins clockwise to push warm air down.<\/li><li>Try a humidifier (humid air feels warmer than dry air).<\/li><li>Clear heat vents, registers, and radiators so heat can circulate.<\/li><li>Do something active, like cleaning or getting up to move periodically so one\u2019s body doesn\u2019t get stiff and cold.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember that the colder it is outside, the harder a heating system has to work to keep a home warm &#8212; which is why electric bills are typically higher in the winter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want more information on how to keep winter electric bills down? Call PPEC at 800.686.2357 for customized energy efficiency advice tailored to one\u2019s home.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>VW independent\/submitted information Freezing temperatures may have people reaching for their space heater \u2026 but their local electric cooperative is asking them to think twice. Electric space heaters are convenient, but don\u2019t forget about their high cost and the safety precautions that may get overlooked.&nbsp; During this time of frigid single digit temperatures,\u00a0Paulding Putnam Electric [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-140097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-18 18:56:31","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140097"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140097\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}