Seven easy ways to cut your Christmas lights power bill

Creating a winter wonderland from lights in the middle of summer could send your energy bills soaring. Here’s how to cut costs.

Deck the halls — and send your power bill soaring. This is one gift none of us want at Christmas.

Festive lights and decorations bring much joy with some families going all out to overload homes, roofs, gardens and living rooms with brilliant bulbs and baubles for all to see.

But with the rising cost of living already causing financial strain for many Australian families, creating a winter wonderland from lights in the middle of summer could add to your energy bill.

But there are some simple ways to cut costs without having to be a Grinch.

1. CHOOSE LEDs

LED lighting can use up to 90 per cent less energy than standard lighting and will last 10 times longer.

This simple switch will save you in the long-term and the display size can also affect your power bill. For example, a 100-countstring of incandescent mini lights runs at 40 watts, while a 70 count of 5mm Wide Angle LEDs is approximately 4.8 watts in total.

2. USE A TIMER

Whether it’s the lights on the Christmas tree or the lights on your front lawn, use a timer so you can’t forget to turn them off and rise at 7am each morning with the lights still burning as the sun comes up. Set the lights to come on as dusk begins each night and to turn off at your usual bed time.

A timer can ensure all the Christmas lights are off once you’ve all gone to bed.

3. CONSIDER SOLAR

Solar-powered lights are a practical choice because they charge during the day and then shine bright through the night. Although they can be a little pricier than regular LED lights, they can last up to 6 hours with around 8 to 10 hours of solar charge.

4. USE BATTERIES

Modern decorations and lights can be powered by both mains electricity and batteries. This means that you have an option to use rechargeable batteries to power them and you can display them in more locations without the need for a power cord.

5. BUILT-IN TREE LIGHTS

Investing in a fibre optic tree and decorations will save you moolah in the long term.

The lights on it will last an average of 200,000 hours – about 20 years. The cost savings on energy is estimated to be around 90 per cent when compared to traditional lighting, putting them in the same bracket as LED lights.

Fibre optic trees have lights that can last 20,000 hours.

6. UPDATE YOUR PLUG

We all do it .... use an extension lead with a multiplug to power the multitude of lights and appliances we use at Christmas.It might be time to invest in a new one. You can save on energy by investing in a modern plug which will regulate current properly and make sure that electricity does not go to waste.

7. STICK TO THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Tradition has it that you should decorate 12 days before and 12 days after Christmas. If you stick to this period with your lights, instead of leaving everything up until the end of January, you will save cash on your next power bill.

Originally published as Seven easy ways to cut your Christmas lights power bill