Not having enough wall receptacles might seem like an inconvenience that you can deal with, but in reality, we are using a lot more power than ever in mankind’s history, and an old home with insufficient places to connect your electronics can get irritating quickly. The natural solution to this problem is to purchase a bunch of power strips to multiply the number of available spots, but it is important that you install and use them properly. There is a risk of fire as well as damage to your devices if you use them improperly.

If you look closely at a power strip, you will find a rating for how many watts it can handle. While this isn’t an issue if you have several low-powered devices connected, such as phone chargers and lamps, you need to be careful that the wattage doesn’t exceed the listed capacity.

You should also make sure that the power strip isn’t placed underneath a carpet and that you don’t daisy chain several power strips into each other. Either of these things could make the power strip overheat and start a fire.