Ask the Energy Expert

‘Tis the season of twinkling lights, blow-up snowmen and giant reindeer in the front yard. I recently received a question asking, "How much energy do holiday decorations use?" These festive displays can impact your electric bill. Let’s explore how some holiday décor can impact your energy use and share tops to help you reduce costs.

What you should know about holiday decorations

First, let’s talk about the basics. The cost of running your holiday decorations depends on a few factors: the wattage of the decorations and how many hours they’re running each day.

Lawn inflatables: These festive inflatable require continuous power to stay inflated, the larger the inflatable, the most power it typically requires. A medium-sized inflatable running for 12 hours a day could use around 1.2 kWh daily, adding up to roughly 36 kWh over a month, which translates to about $4.90. Multiply that by a few inflatables, and you can see how it starts to add up!

Holiday lights: LED holiday lights offer numerous advantages beyond their energy efficiency. For instance, a string of 100 incandescent mini lights uses about 40 watts, while the same count of LED lights only consumes about 4 watts. So, if you have 10 strings of incandescent lights running for six hours a night, that's about 7.2 kWh a month, costing roughly $1.08 per string light. LED lights, however, would cost you around 11 cents a month for the same setup.

Additionally, LED lights generate less heat, making them safer for indoor and outdoor use. Plus, LED lights are designed to last much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Energy-efficient ideas

Use timers: Setting timers for your decorations is an easy way to cut down energy use. Lights and inflatables don’t need to run all night. By scheduling them to turn on at sunset and off before bedtime, you minimize unnecessary usage. A simple plug-in timer from the hardware store can do the trick, or you can go high-tech with smart plugs you can control from your phone.

Solar-powered decorations: These decorations harness the power of the sun during the day and light up bright at night. It’s an easy way to embrace the holiday spirit without adding a penny to your electric bill.

Follow the star: ENERGY STAR certified decorations are designed to consume significantly less energy compared to traditional options. In fact, ENERGY STAR certified LED lighting can use up to 90% less energy than incandescent options.

The bottom line

By choosing energy-efficient holiday decorations, you can enjoy a festive home without adding too much extra cost to your energy bill. Options like solar-powered lights, ENERGY STAR certified LED lighting and being mindful of the hours you run them are all great ways to keep your costs in check.

Learn more ways to save here.

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