Christmas is an expensive time of the year. We tend to save a bit all year for it because we know we want to spend that little extra to celebrate the season. However, we save that money to invest it in presents (and delicious food)—so why are we taking money away from the things that matter by putting it into our electricity bills? Sure, decorations are an important part of Christmas, but did you know that you could be saving money during this season, too? You can! Just choose energy-efficient Christmas tree lights and you’ll be amazed at how much you can save!
How to maximize your decorations to save money.
The first step is to simplify. Use lights only where you need lights, and don’t overload your Christmas tree. You can also use timers to ensure that your lights are on when you want them on, and that they are off when they are just eating up your power. Those simple steps can save you some energy this season, but there is one other step you can take that will help you to save money without having to compromise on how many lights you use and how long you can leave them on for: buying energy-efficient Christmas tree lights!
It’s the same thing you’ve been hearing time and again about your regular home and work lighting: switching to LED lights can save you a lot on your energy bill. Well, it’s true—and here’s why. First of all, LED lights are designed to be energy efficient Christmas tree lights; they draw less energy to cast the same amount of light, so you start saving as soon as you make the switch from incandescent to LED. However, it’s important to note that they also produce a lot less heat when they are on. That means they are wasting a lot less energy than incandescent lights do, and that translates into cost savings.
It also points to another reason to go LED:
Incandescent lights get hot, and you put them all over the front of your home and on either drying out a real tree or a flammable plastic-coated fake tree. That poses a significant fire risk—perhaps not as significant as the traditional candles that were used to light up the Christmas trees between 1890 and 1914, though. Since energy-efficient Christmas tree lights don’t get as hot, they don’t present the same risk of catching fire. The fact that they don’t get as hot and are no longer made of glass also makes them a lot safer for use around children.
Switching to energy-efficient Christmas tree lights means you can save up to 80 percent on the energy consumption of your Christmas lights alone, but how does this break down for the average consumer? Considering that a lot of people start decorating as early as November and keep their decorations up until January, you are looking at two months of extra energy expense for Christmas—on top of an energy bill that is already higher due to the added cost of heating your home in the winter. On average, households run their Christmas lights for approximately four hours a day, which translates into 244 hours of consumption. Multiply that by how many strands of lights you use: four is a minimum estimate if you only power your tree; a lot of houses use a lot more. Now imagine saving 80 percent per strand of energy-efficient Christmas tree lights for each of those 244 hours: the savings add up quickly.
Looking for more ways to save on energy? Visit EnergyRates.ca for more tips like using energy-efficient Christmas tree lights to save on energy this Christmas.
