Holiday safety tips to keep your home merry and bright

Decorations: Inspect your electric decorations before use. Damaged wires and connections may cause serious shock or start a fire. Turn off electrical decorations before leaving home or going to bed.

Candles: Battery-operated candles are a safer option. Don't use flame candles on a tree or evergreens. Keep them away from decorations and wrapping paper.

Electrical Outlets: Don't overload electric outlets. They can cause a fire. Don't place extension cords where they could cause a tripping hazard.

Holiday Trees: A fresh tree will help minimize the danger of fire from dry needles. Check a live tree's water daily and keep the stand filled with water. Purchase a fire-resistant artificial tree. Keep your tree at least 3 feet from all heat sources.

Outdoor Decorating: All decorations should be marked for outdoor use. Keep all ladders away from power lines. Outdoor extension cords and light strings should be kept clear of snow and water.

Smoke Detectors: Test your smoke alarms monthly and make sure that your house is protected by an adequate number of working alarms.

Child Safety: Young children should be kept away from holiday lights, electrical decorations, and extension cords to prevent electrical shock and burns.

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Don't fall for holiday scams!

Scam calls increase during the holiday season, so be extra careful! Typically, scammers posing as PNM employees claim a bill is past-due, threaten to shut off power, and demand immediate payment in the form of a gift card. Hang up and call 888-DIAL-PNM.

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Looking for ways to save energy this holiday season?

The PNM Home Energy Checkup is a FREE service where our Energy Specialists will complete an in-person or virtual assessment of your home, safely install different energy saving measures (or deliver if the virtual appointment was chosen) and provide a comprehensive energy report with tips and rebate recommendations to help you continue to save energy and money. Some items you may receive include:

1. LED Light Bulbs
2. Advanced Power Strips
3. Weather Stripping
4. Door Sweeps
5. Outlet Gaskets
6. Big Gap Filler
7. Smart Thermostat

Once your checkup is complete, you'll have access to several rebates for the replacement of old, inefficient appliances with ENERGY STAR certified models.

Schedule your PNM Home Energy Checkup.

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How to plan for your monthly electric bill

Budget Billing gives you more predictable energy bills by balancing seasonal highs and lows, taking the guesswork out of your monthly bill. Once signed up, you'll pay the same amount every month - making budgeting and planning much easier. You still pay for the energy you use, but your total costs are spread evenly throughout the year. Budget Billing amounts are evaluated twice a year, usually in February and August, and may go up or down based on your actual usage and updated energy costs. Visit our Budget Billing page to learn more and to sign-up.

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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.

Give the Gift of Power

Paying towards someone's PNM bill is generous and brings financial relief to them. If you would like to give the gift of power to someone, it is easy to do. All you need is their name and address. Then, call us at 888-DIAL-PNM during business hours, Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., we'll input the customer's account information for you, help with the processing, and then we will notify the recipient of your gift. Your gift can also be done anonymously.

PNM employees giving back to nonprofit communities

Each year, PNM recognizes exemplary volunteers and their community giving to local nonprofits. It's a tough call each year to select the employees who have given above and beyond to serve their communities.

PNM continued celebrations of its Foundation's 40 years of community giving and awarded 40 employees with $1,000 to gift to the local nonprofit of their choice. These employees each volunteered over 40 hours of their personal time (some gave more than double that time) and, in many cases, gave personal donations to support crucial services of local nonprofits. A few excellent volunteer awardees have already designated their donations to: Seed2Need, St. Felix Pantry, and Animal Humane Association of New Mexico.

Congratulations to these very deserving awardees and the community nonprofits who will be receiving a little more support during the holidays.