LOUISVILLE, Ky. — During the winter months, you may notice some rooms inside your home are cooler than others; despite how high you crank up the heat. In some instances, to save on your electric bill, you might decide to use a space heater to keep a room or multiple rooms warm at home.
Although they can be convenient in a pinch, there can be a fire risk, sometimes with deadly outcomes if a space heater is used improperly.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that small space heaters cause 25,000 residential fires every year, resulting in 600 deaths and more than 6,000 people going to the hospital for serious burns.
When purchasing a space heater, the Department of Energy said to look for a safety seal from a qualified testing laboratory, like Underwriter's Laboratory (UL).
The agency also said to not go for the largest size heater you can find.
When using a portable space heater the National Fire Prevention Association gave these tips to reduce the risk of injury or fire:
- Keep the heater at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn, including people.
- Choose a heater with a thermostat and overheat protection.
- Place the heater on a solid, flat surface.
- Make sure your heater has an auto shut-off to turn the heater off if it tips over.
- Keep space heaters out of the way of foot traffic, never block an exit.
- Keep children away from the space heater.
- Plug the heater directly into the wall outlet, never use an extension cord.
- Space heaters should be turned off and unplugged when you leave the room or go to bed.
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