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(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) – As the heart of the holiday season approaches, many will be decorating their homes and businesses inside and out. With countless options at our fingertips, it’s easy to forget safety is even more important than style when it comes to adorning our spaces. In the spirit of keeping everyone’s holidays safe, Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company offer the following tips:

Decorating outdoors

• Hang decorations and holiday lights during daylight hours when it’s easier to see power lines and avoid them with your ladder.
• Always carry ladders parallel to the ground and look up for power lines before positioning your ladder.
• Make sure trees have not grown too close to a power line before stringing lights.
• All outdoor cords, plugs and sockets must be weatherproof.

Decorating indoors

• Throw out any damaged lights strands. Older strands can be replaced with LED light strands which are safe to the touch and shatterproof. Be sure to check wall sockets, wires and any loose connections.
• Use no more than three standard-size sets of lights per single extension cord.
• Avoid running electrical extension cords under rugs or high traffic areas.
• Unplug holiday lights before leaving home or going to bed.
• Place holiday trees, candles and decorations at least three feet from fireplaces, portable heaters, radiators, heat vents and candles.
• Purchase flame retardant metallic or artificial trees. Make sure real trees have fresh, green needles that aren’t easily broken and get plenty of water daily.

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Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve a total of 1.2 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 321,000 natural gas and 400,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. Kentucky Utilities serves 543,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com