Appliance Safety & Energy Saving Tips
Heating & cooling appliance safety and energy savings tips from the professionals at CenterPoint Energy's Home Service Plus® (HSP)
We have your safety in mind in all that we do. We encourage you to review the following tips to help you keep your major appliances running safely.
General Appliance Safety
Schedule preventive maintenance. Regularly scheduled maintenance of your furnace, boiler and central air conditioner helps ensure equipment operates efficiently. It's a great way to check on the safety and proper operation of your systems.
Leave major repairs to the professionals. If you’re ever unsure about the operating safety of one of your major home appliances, be sure to
contact a professional service provider, like HSP, immediately to have it looked at and, if necessary, repaired. HSP service technicians are highly-trained professionals. They have the experience and training to correctly and safely repair your major home appliances.
Keep flammables away. Never use or store flammable products such as gasoline, solvents or adhesives near a water heater, furnace or any other natural gas or electric appliance because vapors from flammable liquids can ignite.
Before you buy. Be sure any electrical appliances are approved by an authorized consumer laboratory, such as the Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
Schedule service now
Natural Gas Safety
For your protection, an odorant which smells like rotten eggs is added to natural gas, so you can detect even the slightest amount in the air.
If you smell gas:
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Leave the area immediately.
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Do not use your phone, electric switches, computer, or anything that could cause a spark.
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Go directly to a safe location then, call CenterPoint Energy and 911.
24-hour gas leak hotline
Minneapolis/St. Paul Area:
612-372-5050; toll-free 800-296-9815
Electric Appliance Safety
- Unplug appliances before working on them.
- Contact a professional repair service if you receive a shock or see sparks or smoke from an electric appliance. HSP repairs both natural gas and electric major home appliances and home comfort systems (HVAC).
- Regularly inspect cords for fraying, broken or worn plugs or wire damage.
- Keep water a safe distance from electric appliances to avoid shock.
Energy Saving Tips
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Set your thermostat’s fan setting to ‘auto’ to save money and potentially help humidity levels.
- Help prevent accidental burns and save energy by
setting your water heater temperature to 120 degrees.
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Inspect, clean or replace the HVAC filters every month since dirty filters can raise operating cost by 15%.
- Dry clothes more quickly and save energy by
cleaning your clothes dryer vent regularly.
- When you’re away from home, save up to 10% on your heating and cooling costs by
turning your thermostat back 7-10 degrees from its normal setting for eight hours a day.
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Use a programmable thermostat to match your household’s schedule.
Schedule Maintenance Service!
CenterPoint Energy's Home Service Plus repair and maintenance services are available to homeowners throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul Twin Cities metro area and in many parts of Greater Minnesota.
Schedule service online, or call
612-333-1664 in the metro area; toll-free 877-HSP-1664 in Greater Minnesota.
