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Q: Our neighborhood is doing a holiday light decorating contest this year. My husband thinks we can win by adding even more lights to our already decked-out house. I’m worried that this is going to increase our utility bill by too much. Do Christmas lights use a lot of electricity?
A : You are not alone in keeping finances in head when thinking about decorating this holiday time of year . Between thecost of having Christmas Inner Light professionally installedand their electricity custom , the budget can go up quickly .
Unfortunately , there is n’t a mere answer to the question : “ Do Christmas light use a muckle of electrical energy ? ” The cost can motley depend on a mountain range of factors , include thetypes of Christmas lightsyou’re sing about ( such as indoor oroutdoor Christmas light ) , the bulb eccentric , how early in the season youput your ornament up , and how long you leave them running each day . We ’ll search each of these variables in the next few sections to help you gauge what you may gestate the cost of embellish your household to reach .
The type of bulb is a big factor.
Not all Christmas light use the same eccentric of light bulb . So , when you ’re trying to answer the interrogative sentence of how much electricity do Christmas lights utilize , you must first ascertain which type you ’ll be hang . According to Joel Worthington , president ofMr . Electric , aNeighborlycompany , “ The case of bulbs used playact a significant role , with traditional incandescent bulb broadly speaking consuming more energy compared to energy - effective LED bulbs . ”
TheU.S. Department of Energyalso recommends pick out LED lights over their incandescent counterpart . The way say that powering lead Christmas tree lights could cost as little as $ 0.27 , assume you light your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree for about 12 hr each twenty-four hours for 40 days . That figure is significantly low than the close together $ 10 it would be to run incandescent bulbs for similarindoor ignitor . The reason for this substantial remainder has to do with the fact that direct Christmas lights ’ electrical power is much lower than that of incandescent bulbs .
LEDs do more than just offer a low-pitched Christmas light electrical power . They are undimmed and ply a higher quality light than incandescent options . The bulbs also wo n’t burn out as quickly , saving the hassle of worrying about how tofix a fibril of Christmas lightsthat wo n’t light up . As you start shopping , you ’ll also find that there are a wide variety of LED lightbulb types usable — such as mini light , across-the-board - angle bulbs , and enceinte C6 and C9 options — to aid bring your design visual sense to reality .
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How many strands are plugged in can affect electricity use.
“ While there is n’t a strict numerical limit point on the number of Christmas light strands one can practice , it ’s advisable to be aware of the accumulative vigor expenditure , ” articulate Worthington . He explains , “ The more chain you total , the higher the overall power use . ”
Depending on your budget and pattern vision , you might need to make some compromises to ensure that you ’re satisfied with yourhouse Christmas sparkle , but not completely offend by the usefulness billhook .
It also depends on how long you leave them on.
Worthington also explicate that “ The continuance for which the luminance are leave on daily contributes to the electricity employment — longer durations result in in high spirits consumption . ” turn the lights off before you go to bottom and only flex them on at dusk can limit the vigor puff .
Exactly how much electricity do Christmas lights use?
Because there are so many variables that can affect the amount of electricity Christmas lights expend , it takes a simple computation to get a much well estimate of what the resulting electrical energy costs will be .
To calculate the price , embark on by determining the wattage of each light strand ( it should be on a label on the chain or somewhere on the promotional material ) . Then , reproduce this value by the number of hours you design to depart your light source on for each mean solar day . This will ply the full numeral of watt - hours the bulbs will employ each Clarence Day . Then divide this routine by 1,000 to determine the figure of kilowatt - minute . Multiplying this by your utility company ’s price per kilowatt - hour should give you a daily total .
Here ’s an instance to depend the vim toll to run for an 80 - watt strand of LED Christmas lights for 6 hours . You could multiply these chassis by the full number of strands you project on using and the number of days for which you plan to lead your decoration up .
Photo: istockphoto.com
The tabular array below figure the cost of running a 100 - electric light strand of each different light type for 6 time of day . The prelit tree includes the wattage and monetary value of six chain in total .
You can save electricity and money with these 4 tips.
As Worthington explain , “ Thoughtful planning , including using fewer strands and selecting efficient technologies , allows for festive and dazzling showing while continue energy consumption to a lower limit . ” Some tips to serve you enjoy the vivacious holiday display that you image without breaking the bank include :
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Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
