DENVER - Along with snow, shopping and candy canes, the holiday season brings amazing lighting displays to neighborhoods throughout the United States.

• Xcel Energy has compiled a list of safety recommendations for your display:
  
• Use electricity safely and wisely. Plan decorating and lighting ahead of time to reduce any potential safety hazards.
  
• Use only Underwriters' Laboratory-approved lights. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for indoor and outdoor lighting.
  
• Check the cords on strings of lights and replace any that are frayed or worn. Discard all that are in poor condition. Also check for loose connections and damaged plugs or light sockets.
  
• Plug in lights before stringing them to determine whether any bulbs are burned out. Then, to minimize the risk of accidents, unplug the lights before putting them on the tree or hanging them elsewhere.
  
• Unplug lights before hanging them and unplug them before you go to sleep or when you will be away from home.
  
• Avoid attaching too many light strings together and plugging them into one receptacle. Refer to the manufacturer's instructions for proper use and the maximum recommended number of strings per receptacle.
  
• Before placing holiday lights outside on your house or in trees, look up to locate any overhead power lines, then keep all objects such as ladders and extension poles more than 10 feet away. Never toss lights near or across an overhead power line.
  
• Keep lights away from flammable and combustible materials, including draperies.
  
• Keep lights away from metal railings and banisters, which can become energized if the wire has a short circuit. Avoid stringing lights along aluminum siding, which can conduct electricity. Never use lights on metallic trees.
  
• Make sure rooftop decorations do not block vents or vent pipes.

To find out how much your house lights will cost, click here.