Extra baking, festive lights, home parties, and houseguests can increase energy use and result in higher- than-normal electric bills. Florida Power & Light Company offers this advice to help control the additional electric use, help keep bills down and ensure a safe holiday season:

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  Lighting

  * Use holiday lights with half-watt bulbs.  These cost 48 cents per string
    for a month compared to five-watt lights that cost $1.20 per string for
    the month.
  * Never use indoor lighting outside.
  * When decorating outdoors, always look up first.  Don't raise ladders or
    other extended objects into or near power lines.  Be careful not to
    place yourself or something you're using where you might contact a power
    line.
  * Make sure tree limbs haven't grown into or near electric lines as they
    can become energized.
  * Checks lights for damage, and throw away broken strings.
  * Route cords so they won't trip anyone.
  * Don't place cords under rugs, appliances or other objects, as they may
    overheat if covered or become worn and cause a fire.
  * Secure cords so that pets and toddlers are unable to play with them.
  * Use no more than three sets of lights on a single extension cord to
    prevent overheating and reduce the chance of fire.
  * Always turn off the tree lights when you leave home or go to bed.

  Heating and Air Conditioning

  * Set the air conditioner to 78 degrees, and run ceiling fans where you're
    entertaining.
  * Set the thermostat to 68 degrees when using heat.
  * Clean or replace air conditioning and heating filters monthly to keep
    your unit running efficiently.

  Water Heating

  * Set the water heater temperature to 120 degrees to control the cost of
    showers, dishwashing, cooking, and cleaning that comes along with
    houseguests.
  * Turn the appliance off before making the adjustment.

  Refrigeration

  * Keep the refrigerator set at 38-40 degrees for maximum energy
    efficiency.
  * Clean the refrigerator's condenser coils for even more energy
    efficiency.
  * Keep the refrigerator's freezer as full as possible so that it works
    efficiently.

For year-round energy saving advice, customers may visit http://www.fpl.com/ on the Internet, and click on the online home energy survey. Answering simple questions about a home and habits, allows the survey to calculate what it costs to operate appliances. Customers will find safety information such as a kids' safety page on the web site, too. FPL can also be reached at 1-800-DIAL-FPL.

Florida Power & Light Company is the principal subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc. , one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services with annual revenues of more than $8 billion. The company serves approximately 3.9 million customer accounts in Florida. FPL Energy, LLC, an FPL Group energy-generating subsidiary, is a leader in producing electricity from clean and renewable fuels. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.fpl.com.

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SOURCE: FPL Group, Inc.