Every holiday season, many homeowners bathe their homes in light and install other electric holiday decorations. And while it’s a very festive way to celebrate the holidays, it can seem a little less joyful in January when the electric bill comes due.
Fortunately, modern lighting advances have been reducing the amount of electricity needed for Christmas lights and decorations as well as other holiday items.
Newer LED (light emitting diode) lights can offer a significant savings over traditional incandescent lights. For instance, a 70-count LED string runs at 4.8 watts, while a string of 100-count incandescent lights will run at 40 watts in total—that’s an 80-90% difference! Here’s how to determine Christmas light wattage from Christmaslightsetc.com.
Calculating Electricity Usage Cost
* Figure out the total wattage you will be using.
* Multiply times 0.001 to find your kilo-watt per hour.
* Multiply the product by 5 hours a day to find your kilo-watt per day.
* Multiply this number by 30 days to find your kilo-watt per month.
* Multiply by 11.3 cents (or power usage found on your electric bill) to calculate your cost.
BUY LED LIGHTS
LEDs are upward of 80% more efficient than those incandescents you have tangled in a box in the attic. Ever bring down a pile of knotted lights and plug them in, only for half the bulbs to light up? ENERGY STAR® qualified LEDs last up to ten times longer than incandescent lights and glow brighter using 70% less energy. They’re also safer, cooler to the touch, and you can even string up to 24 LEDs in a row without overwhelming your socket.
REBATES
Many coupons and rebates are available for ENERGY STAR® qualified products at your local hardware or superstore. LEDs come in wide variety of colors for indoor and outdoor use. And the best part? A 3-year warranty!
LIMIT HOURLY USAGE
Utilizing timers are an efficient way to track your wattage and electricity usage. If you have large holiday displays, this will save you from going around to unplug or turn off all the different lights. Keeping your lights on for a maximum of eight hours in the evening can save you more than you might think—especially if you’re using incandescence!
CREATIVE AND REFLECTIVE DECORATING
If you’re looking to cut down your costs this season, consider replacing a few strings of lights with reflective decorations. Light from your other LEDs will catch the luster of your decorations and shine just on their own. Consider using different sizes of silver bells to decorate your home and lawn—they’re festive, and they might even reflect your neighbors ghastly display of lights across the drive!
If you have an LED light display set to rival the Griswold’s home, but not enough safe, outdoor sockets, contact us today. We’ll be happy to come out and help you brighten the night.