Tips to keep your electric bill on Santa's nice list

Christmas is around the corner and PNM has some simple no-cost or low-cost tips tips to help save on your electric bill this season.

Use a power strip and a timer. Avoid keeping your holiday lights on during the day or when everyone is sleeping by using a timer.

Use LED string lights or laser projectors. LED string lights are cheaper than old incandescent lights. Also, outdoor laser projectors that shine holiday lights on your home cost even less on your electric bill, take up less space in your garage, and are safer than climbing the roof.

Seal cracks, gaps, and air leaks. Add weather stripping & caulking around doors and windows, and attic entryways to reduce air leaks. Seal air leaks around utility cut-throughs for pipes, gaps around chimneys and recessed lights.

Turn off all lights in the room. Darkening the room and keeping the focus on your Christmas tree lights makes for a nice holiday ambiance and saves you money on your electric bill.

Clean or replace your furnace filters every three months. Dirty filters cause the motor on your furnace to work harder and become less efficient.

Lower your thermostat. Find out how low you can set your thermostat and still feel comfortable. Start by setting it a couple of degrees lower than your normal setting and wear a favorite sweater or snuggle with a blanket.

Clean the flue on wood and pellet-burning heaters. Maintaining your wood and pellet-burning heaters is important. Clean the flue vent and the inside of the appliance with a wire brush to ensure that your home is being heated efficiently.

One space heater on high for 6 hours a day can add approx. $40 or more to your PNM bill. If you're going to use one, use it sparingly and turn it off before leaving the room.

KOATS for kids

Building on the season of giving, PNM is a lead sponsor of KOATs for Kids, a drive to ensure kids across New Mexico are warm during the cold winter months. The basic necessity of a coat can mean the difference of a child excelling or failing. There is no greater purpose than investing in our children. To kick off this drive, PNM donated 100 new coats at the start of fall and, since then, PNM employees have doubled that by bringing in additional coats to donate. What may seem like a small donation to some can mean the world to a struggling child and their family. PNM is proud to be part of a community that comes together to support our youth. KOATs for Kids reflects the spirit and values of our employees. If you have a child that attends New Mexico Public Schools and needs a coat, please contact your child's school counselor to receive one.

How to spot a scammer

PNM is warning its customers throughout New Mexico to be on the lookout for phone scams, especially during the holidays and on the weekends. PNM is seeing a surge in scam reports from residential and business customers that scammers are masking their number and instead showing the PNM name and phone number on caller ID, pretending to be with PNM, insisting a past due balance is owed, and threatening to disconnect electricity unless customers pay, within an hour, with a prepaid gift card, Zelle banking service, or through a money order. Sometimes this comes as a call or a text. This is a scam. PNM does not disconnect power due to non-payment on holidays or weekends. This time of year, scammers are banking on you relying on electricity even more because you are home more often, preparing holiday meals, and hosting guests. Do not take their claims for fact. Hang-up or do not reply to the text. Rather, you initiate the status of your account using the contact information printed on your PNM bill.

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Treecycling

Once the holidays are over, please consider recycling your live Christmas tree. PNM, along with the cities of Albuquerque and Rio Rancho will be offering free treecycling after the holidays. Keep an eye on our website at PNM.com and social media for updates and information.