January 15, 2004
With
a record-breaking deep freeze tightening its grip on the
Northeast, NSTAR is issuing an urgent home heating
safety reminder to all New England residents.
“With the
arctic weather expected to be with us until the weekend,
it’s important for folks to be especially mindful of
simple steps they can take to keep their families safe
and warm at home,” said Joseph R. Nolan, NSTAR’s
Senior Vice President of Customer & Corporate
Relations.
“NSTAR is committed to serving our customers
well and will promptly respond to any electricity or
natural gas emergency calls we receive; 24 hours a day,
7 days a week.”
NSTAR’s 3,300 employees stand ready to serve
its 1.4 million customers throughout central and eastern
Massachusetts.
Below
are some simple precautions homeowners should take to
help keep warm and safe during these cold days.
Space Heater Safety
- Keep space heaters at least three feet from furniture, walls, curtains, bedding, and all other flammable items.
- Never use extension cords with space heaters.
- Inspect space heaters before use. Discontinue use if the space heater has fraying insulation, broken wires, or shows any sign of overheating.
- Never use
space heaters for drying clothes, warming bedding,
heating food, thawing pipes, or anything other than
supplemental heat.
- Turn off
space heaters when you leave a room or go to sleep.
- Supervise
children and pets whenever space heaters are in use.
- When
buying space heaters look for a model with automatic
shut-off features.
- If you
have a liquid-fueled space heater, use only the fuel
recommended by the manufacturer. Never use gasoline
or other substitute fuel.
- When
refueling, turn off the space heater and let it
completely cool before adding fuel. Clean up any
spills promptly.
- Be sure that any liquid-fueled heating device used in the home is rated for indoor use and is adequately ventilated.
Gas Safety
Natural gas is colorless and odorless so gas
companies like NSTAR add a chemical to give it an easily
recognized “rotten eggs” odor.
Follow these important steps in the unlikely
event that you smell natural gas in or around your home.
- Do not
light matches, operate electric switches or
thermostats, or use flashlights.
- Do not
use the telephone.
- Evacuate everyone immediately from the premises and call your gas company from a neighbor’s home, a cell phone, or a nearby payphone. NSTAR has a 24-hour emergency line for prompt response in the event of a gas emergency (1-800-572-9337).
Fireplace & Woodstove Safety
- Be sure to regularly inspect and clean the chimney
flue.
- Always use a fire screen.
- Burn only seasoned wood, never rubbish or scraps
of treated lumber.
- Be sure dampers are in working order.
- Never leave a fireplace fire unattended,
especially in areas used by children or pets.
NSTAR Electric and Gas transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas to 1.4 million customers in Eastern and Central Massachusetts, including over one million electric customers in 81 communities and nearly 300,000 gas customers in 51 communities.
