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Space heater safety

As winter takes hold, there’s a chill in the air across much of the country. This time of year, people often turn to space heaters to supplement central heating. While portable and stationary space heaters can help keep heating costs down during winter, they also present potential fire hazards.

According to a recent report released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), during 2012-2016 space heaters accounted for 44% of home heating equipment fires. These fires were responsible for 86% of civilian deaths and 78% of civilian injuries caused by heating fires. During this five-year span, NFPA estimates space heaters caused 22,480 fires, 430 civilian deaths, 1,090 civilian injuries, and $555 million direct property damage.

NFPA urges people to follow precautions when using space heaters. Check out this tip sheet for more information on basics steps you can take to protect your family and home when using a portable space heater. Then visit energy.gov for more detailed information on types of portable space heaters including how they work and guidelines for use.

Be prepared for winter driving

Every season presents unique challenges for drivers. Spring brings us orange construction barrels and rain, summer means sharing the road with more bicycles and motorcycles, and the peak mating and migration activities of animals in autumn results in more deer and other animals on and around roadways. While all these factors require drivers to take extra precautions, winter probably delivers the most challenges for drivers.

The extreme cold, as well as snow, sleet, and freezing rain can wreak havoc on vehicles and roads. Cold weather can affect your car’s battery, fluids, tire pressure, spark plugs, and more. Winter precipitation makes roads slippery and unpredictable. While it’s impossible to eliminate all the risks that come with driving during winter, there are things you can do to minimize the impacts of winter conditions.

The National Safety Council provides these tips to better prepare you and your car for winter driving.

Illinois Disaster Information

If you’re a West Bend policyholder who’s been affected by storms in Christian County, Illinois in late November/early December 2018, we want to address questions you may have related to your insurance coverage. 

Please direct your questions about insurance claims or coverage to West Bend's Claims Department. Click here for contact information. 

West Bend understands policyholders in affected areas may have difficulty paying insurance premiums during this time and will be flexible for customers living in those disaster areas. If you have questions about your policy premiums or need an extension, our Accounting Department can help you. You may contact West Bend's Accounting Department at 1-800-236-5002 between 8:00am and 4:30pm CST.

The Illinois State Insurance Department has issued a bulletin related to the storms in Christian County. West Bend is doing its utmost to comply with these requests and directives. If you live in Illinois and would like more information, please click here. 

Disclaimer: West Bend is making every effort to intercept notices for policyholders in the affected disaster areas. We acknowledge that we may not be able to intercept every notice.