68% of Homeowners Use Risky Heating Sources, Survey Says

Posted in Home Insurance

February 1st, 2010

According to a new survey from Nationwide Insurance, approximately 68 percent of homeowners use alternative heating sources to make it through the winter. These alternative heating sources include fireplaces, wood burning stoves and space heaters. But insurer explains that while these sources may help keep homeowners warm, they cause more fires, which could threaten your homeowners insurance and your life.

Fire Risks Revealed

In Nationwide’s survey, they looked at what could be causing what they found to be an increase in home fires over the past few winters. After surveying 1,000 Americans, they discovered that homeowners participate in the following fire risks:

• 29 percent don’t turn off their space heater when going to bed
• 13 percent use their oven to heat their kitchen
• 11 percent use an extension cord with their space heater
• 41 percent do not have their chimneys inspected each year
• 38 percent don’t own carbon monoxide detectors

The insurer acknowledge that need for homeowners to stay warm while lowering their heating costs, but noted that the above solutions are not wise and could cause fires in the home.

Tips for Staying Safe and Warm During the Winter

Nationwide offered some tips to help keep you warm while remaining safethis winter:

• Plug your electric space heater into an outlet greater capacity than an electric cord. If you must use a cord, make sure it’s marked “14-gauge wire” or higher.
• Place your heater on a level, hard and nonflammable surface – not on a carpet or rug – and at least three feet away from bedding, furniture and drapes.
• Have your flues, chimneys and heaters inspected annually.
• Have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed on every level in your home.
• Never use charcoal in a fireplace because it increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Don’t use a kitchen range or oven to heat your home – it could release excessive carbon monoxide.
• Dispose of ashes from your fireplace or wood burning stove away from your home and in a metal can – after wetting the ashes.

The National Fire Protection Association revealed that there are 64,000 home heating fires annually in the U.S. alone. These fires result in approximately 540 deaths and 1,400 injuries. To make sure you’re not the next victim, it’s good to keep your home as fire-proof as possible during the winter months.