Money Saving Christmas Light Tips

Christmas lights add warmth to your home and have a way of keeping everyone in the holiday spirit. Nevertheless, whether you’re hanging a single strand of Christmas lights on your porch, or decorating your entire house with Christmas lights, it’s inevitable that your electrical bill will climb. But before you flick the switch to your Christmas joy, you should know that there are great ways to help ensure that lighting your house will not send your electric bill through the roof! What's more, Christmas lights create a festive atmosphere for your friends and family, so a slight seasonal increase in your bill is a small price to pay for true holiday cheer!

Use Timers for Lights: Timers ensure that your lights are turned off so you save money. Leaving Christmas lighting displays on overnight during the course of a few months will most likely lead to an increase in your electric bill. By using timers for your Christmas lights, you will never have to wake up in the middle of the night wondering if you forgot to turn off the lights. All you have to do is set the light timer and forget about it! They make one extra thing you won’t have to worry about – and every little bit counts during the holidays!

Use LED Lights: LED lights are energy-efficient, safe, shatterproof, and shock resistant. Each LED C7 multicolored bulb is only 0.08 watts – in comparison to a standard incandescent C7 bulb with 6 watts or an incandescent miniature lights with 0.48 watts. Bottom line – you can save up to 80% of your energy costs! LED Lights come in green, orange, gold, red, white and blue.

Replace Old, Large Christmas Lights: Your mother or grandmother used them, so now they have become a Christmas tradition, but those old large, traditional colored bulbs could be costing you! These older strands of Christmas lights use up to 10 watts per bulb, as opposed to most C7 or C9 Christmas lights that use 5 to 7 watts per bulb! Though the difference is only a couple of watts, it could amount to much more on your electrical bill. Instead, perhaps opt for miniature string lights – they use about 70% less energy and outlast larger holiday lights. Can’t scrap a holiday tradition? Keep your larger colored Christmas lights, but replace the 7 to 10 watt bulbs with 5 watt bulbs to save about 30% more energy – and more money, too!

Check out Merry Christmas Decor for other holiday tips, gifts, and decorating ideas!