Use caution when providing temporary charging stations, energy council warns

Springfield, IL – In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which left thousands of people without electricity and no way to charge their mobile devices, Good Samaritans who do have power and are providing “charging stations” to strangers are encouraged to use safe electrical practices.

Through its Safe Electricity program, the Energy Education Council offers tips for people who wish to share their electricity with others who need to recharge their cell phones, music-playing devices or laptops:

• Use a heavy-duty extension cord equipped with ground fault circuit interrupter protection.
• Do not use frayed or damaged charging equipment.
• Know the capacity of the circuit you are using, and do not exceed it.
• When a charging station trips a breaker, immediately dismantle the station and do not resume the same level of use.