05 Dec 2024 An Energy Smart winter

Posted at 4:17 PMh in Food & Home Entertaining by

By Beth Jimmerson

Whether you prefer a light touch or are the next Clark Griswold, holiday lights are a part of the season. While traditional string lights and decorative lights are a staple, they can use significant amounts of energy. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that annually, American Christmas lights consume 6.6 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity — that’s enough to power 14 million refrigerators.

At a time when we’re already worried about additional shopping, traveling and hosting, you don’t need to worry about your next utility bill. Luckily, there are a few ways to decorate for the holiday while keeping efficiency in mind and your energy costs down.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT LIGHTS

It’s time to toss out your old strings of lights. Today’s newer LED lights let you shine through the holidays for a fraction of the cost.

Outdoor LED lights use 80 to 90 percent less energy than incandescent string lights so you can stay festive while saving energy. Plus, they last up to 100,000 hours – around 10 years – versus the 3,000 average lifespan for incandescent Christmas lights.

If you have a typical modest Christmas display on your home, your energy costs would be approximately $10-15 for incandescent lights but only around $2 for LEDs for the entire holiday season. And the savings improve with every addition to your holiday display.

For heavy usage, where people slow down to see your house, the typical energy costs would be approximately $115 for traditional lights versus $15-20 for LED lights.

For a jaw-dropping display where people make your house a destination to admire your holiday cheer, the costs could be more than $300 with traditional lighting versus a modest $40-50 with LEDs.

BENEFITS OF LED LIGHTS 

It’s clear that LED holiday lights are the front-runner for economical Christmas decoration. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy calculates that the cost of lighting a 6-foot Christmas tree with LED mini-lights for 12 hours a day only adds 82 cents of additional power consumption over the holiday season. But that’s not the only benefit.

With traditional lights, you can only connect four or five strings of lights together to one outlet, limiting the amount of lights you can safely use in one area. With LED lights, you can safely connect 20-plus light strings together. If the ultimate decorations are your holiday dream, LED lights are the safer solution.

LED Christmas lights also come in a wider range of colors, are generally brighter than incandescent light strings and even come in strings connected to dimmers for different lighting effects. Look for warm white to recreate the look of incandescent bulbs. LED light sets are generally rated to last decades, not just a season or two, meaning you can keep adding to your holiday collection each year instead of merely replacing burned-out old versions of the same lights year after year.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AND ELECTRICAL SAFETY

LED lights burn with less heat, which reduces the risk of fire. But electrical safety with Christmas lights is still an important topic.

According to the National Fire Protection Fire Association, nearly half of home Christmas tree fires were caused by faulty electrical plugs or lighting equipment. The easiest way to avoid the issue? Use an artificial tree that is labeled fire retardant. If it does catch fire, it will resist burning and the fire will be easier to put out.

For indoor decorations, make sure any extension cords are rated for the number of lights you are plugging in and the distance the cord is running. Occasionally check the extension cord at the electrical outlet – if the outlet or extension cord is warm, that’s a problem. Unplug the lights and talk to an electrician.

Extension cords also play a big role in outdoor lighting safety. Use an extension cord that’s rated for outdoor use and based on how far the power needs to travel. If you need a longer cord, purchase one with a 12- or 10-gauge weight. For strings of lights, use a 16-gauge extension cord for light runs of 25 feet or less and go with a heavier-duty 14-gauge cord for runs over 25 feet.

You can always save energy and have a safer Christmas by skipping decorations altogether, but it’s just not the holidays without a few twinkling lights. It’s easy to stay safe and save money while still enjoying all the season has to offer. If you haven’t switched to LED lights, now is the time.

CONWAY CORP RESIDENTIAL ENERGY AUDIT

Looking for more ways to save this winter? Conway Corp’s Energy Smart program offers free residential energy audits to help customers identify how much energy their homes consume and what measures may be taken to make their homes more energy efficient. The analysis will show a homeowner any problems that may, when corrected, save significant amounts of money over time. A home energy audit is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes while evaluating what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. 

During the audit process, a Conway Corp certified energy professional will perform a walk-through inspection of your home using various techniques and equipment to determine its energy-efficiency level. The inspection will help you understand the efficiency level of your home’s heating and cooling systems, look at how your windows and doors seal, inspect insulation levels, show you ways to conserve electricity, and help identify leaks in your home. 

Annually, homes that have received a free audit from Energy Smart save more than $1.9 million combined in utility costs. Over the lifetime of the program, these homes have saved more than $12 million. Some solutions are simple and inexpensive. For example, a $4 tube of caulk might save you $100 in energy costs. Other improvements might be more expensive but can be made over time, like installing efficient low-wattage lighting fixtures, adding insulation or upgrading to Energy Star-rated appliances. 

Visit ConwayCorp.com/EnergySmart to learn more, or call 501.450.6000 to schedule a free energy audit from a Conway Corp certified energy professional.

Beth Jimmerson
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