PSE&G offers tips to stay warm and safe

Editor December 16, 2016 3 minutes read

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — With the arrival of frigid weather, PSE&G offers tips to help customers stay warm and safe from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Cold weather tips include:

Lower your thermostat by just 1 degree, which may reduce your heating bill by up to 3 percent. Save even more by lowering your thermostat 2 degrees during the day when you are home, and 5 to 10 degrees when you are away and at bedtime, if health conditions permit.
Change thermostat batteries once each year or when the low battery indicator appears on the digital display.
Close fireplace dampers when not in use.
Close and latch your windows.
Move furniture and drapes away from heating registers, radiators and baseboard element covers. Open any register or baseboard dampers.
Remove or cover window air conditioners to reduce drafts.
Open your curtains and blinds that face the sun on sunny days to warm your home, and close them at night to keep the warm air inside.
Use weather stripping or caulk to seal up cracks and prevent drafts in windows and doorframes. Beneath doors, install draft guards available at hardware stores.
Keep your garage door closed if the garage is attached to the house.
Check for sufficient water levels in the sight glass for steam heating systems to ensure maximum efficiency. Clean or replace the furnace filter on hot air heating systems.

For safety’s sake:

The first line of defense against carbon monoxide, or CO, poisoning is to make sure all fuel-burning appliances operate correctly and are maintained properly. These appliances include furnaces, water heaters, ranges, space heaters and clothes dryers. Improperly vented fireplaces and charcoal grills can also give off CO. Never use ovens or clothes dryers to heat the house.
Install carbon monoxide detectors. CO alarms can provide an early warning to consumers before CO builds up to a dangerous level. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends placing a carbon monoxide alarm in every area of your house or business. If just one alarm is installed, it should be placed near the sleeping areas of the house. Check the batteries regularly.
Do not allow vehicles, snow blowers or any gasoline-powered engine to idle in a garage, basement or any enclosed space. CO can drift into the living space and create a hazardous situation.
Be prepared: In your mobile phone, program the emergency service line of your natural gas provider. PSE&G’s emergency service line is 1-800-880-7734.
If you think high levels of CO are in your home or business, go outside! If there’s a medical emergency, such as someone falling unconscious, get the person outside to fresh air and call 9-1-1. Then call PSE&G’s emergency service line. Wait outside or go to a neighbor’s home until help arrives.
Symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. Symptoms can occur immediately or gradually after long-term exposure. People who are sleeping can die from CO poisoning before ever experiencing any of these warning signs. It affects people of all ages, but infants and children are even more susceptible than adults.