What you need to know about staying warm safely

 With frigid temperatures blasting Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission reminded residents across the state that preparation and awareness are essential parts of winter safety.

“It is important to take a few minutes to address some ways to help keep yourself and your family safe and warm during this cold weather,” said Chairman Gladys M. Brown.

Be safe

• Do not use propane lanterns inside.

• When using a kerosene heater, provide adequate ventilation and refuel the heater outdoors.

• If using a fireplace, open a window for ventilation. Closing the glass doors will prevent a draft when it is not in use. Burn only wood or artificial logs. Also, a fireplace screen can help prevent your carpet or floor from catching fire.

• Do NOT supplement heat by using a gas stove.

Be prepared

• Write down, print or save toll-free outage hotlines for your electric utility and/or your natural gas utility, which are listed on the PUC website.

• Save the internet address for your utility’s outage reporting system, which can provide updates on repair and restoration efforts. Those electric utility outage sites and natural gas company websites are available on the PUC website.

• Keep your cellphone charged, so you can contact your utility, other emergency services and family members.

• Secure necessary food, medicine and other supplies, including batteries for flashlights in the event of an emergency.

• If you use a generator, do NOT run it inside a home or garage. Also, connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator, not your home’s electrical system, which could shock or injure utility crews working on nearby power lines.

• Check on elderly neighbors and those with special needs who might require additional assistance.

Seal up and turn down

• Instead of turning up the heat, add an extra blanket or sweater, if your health permits.

• Use a programmable thermostat and set it to lower the temperature at night or whenever the house is unoccupied, to keep costs in check.

• Keep doors and windows closed as much as possible. This includes overhead doors on attached garages.

• Seal off unused rooms. Close the floor or wall registers and return air vents, and keep the doors closed in those areas.

• Open south-facing window curtains, drapes and blinds during the day. Close coverings at night to keep the heat in.

• Weatherstrip windows and doors, and caulk windows.

Visit the commission’s website for a short video featuring storm safety information and a list of home heating safety tips.

A few more tips from the American Red Cross:

• Wear layers of lightweight clothing to stay warm. Gloves and a hat will help prevent losing body heat.

• Know the signs of hypothermia — confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. If someone has these symptoms, they should get immediate medical attention.

• Watch for symptoms of frostbite including numbness, flushed gray, white, blue or yellow skin discoloration, numbness or waxy-feeling skin.

• Bring the pets indoors. If that’s not possible, make sure they have enough shelter to keep them warm and that they can get to unfrozen water.

• Avoid frozen pipes — run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent them from freezing. Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night to help avoid freezing pipes. Open cabinet doors to allow warmer air from the room to get to pipes near sinks, etc.

• Plug power cords directly into outlets and never into an extension cord.