MARQUETTE -- They keep you warm and cozy, but they can also put you in serious danger: space heaters.
"They're probably one of the leading causes of fires in homes in the wintertime," said Paul Enrietti, Marquette City fire inspector.
Twenty-five percent of all winter fires to be exact. Why? People aren't using them properly.
Residents have been trying to save on energy bills by replacing their central heating with the tiny heaters, leaving many unattended throughout their homes.
"You want to make sure you're in that room with the space heater to monitor any activity; you want to be always supervising," Enrietti said.
And UPPCO says doing this can be as costly as it is dangerous.
"Bottom line, if you turn your main heating system off and you start supplementing with multiple, say three of four, 1,500 watt small space heating systems, you're going to end up costing several hundred dollars more per month than what it would have cost if you used your main heating system," said Jodi Pineau, an UPPCO customer relations representative.
But if used properly, space heaters can be a great heating supplement. Fire officials recommend keep items at least three feet away from the heater at all times. They also suggest not plugging them into extension cords and unplugging them when you leave the room.
If you are buying a space heater, fire officials say to make sure it has an automatic shut off in case it tips over and that it has a U-L, or Underwriter's Laboratory, symbol right on the box, meaning it complies with industry standards.
And if you already have a space heater and it doesn't have these features, fire officials say it's time to buy a new one.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC