Helpful Tips

There are a number of factors that come into play when you are figuring out how much energy your Christmas lights use. The more you understand about your Christmas lights, the easier it is to get a handle on how they use energy.

This will help you curb your electrical use during the wintertime, and allows you to choose the best setup. Here are the main factors you need to know:

1. The Type of Lights and Bulbs

First things first, consider the types of lights and bulbs you use for your Christmas lights. This will generally boil down to whether you used incandescent lights or LED lights.

Incandescent lights last about 1,000 hours, while LED lights last upwards of 25,000 hours. Think about this longevity and energy use whenever you are shopping around for a Christmas light setup.

2. The Square Footage of Your House and the Overall Design

The size of your home will largely dictate how much money you spend when decorating your house with Christmas lights. Think about whether you are going to secure lights along the top of the roof and all around, or whether you just want to decorate some windows and other fixtures.

The more in-depth you get with the design, and the more intricately and completely you decide to cover your home with lights, the more money you will pay during both the installation and upkeep of your Christmas lights.

3. How Long You Keep Them on Each Day

Having the lights installed is one thing, but you also need to think about how long you keep them on each day. Some people turn their lights on for just a few hours every night once it's deep into the evening, while others turn the lights on as soon as they get home from work keep them on overnight as they sleep.

Think about whether you're going to keep the lights on every day or just certain days. The more constant use these lights get, the more pricey your electric bill will be.

4. How Long You Keep Them Up Each Season

Aside from how much you keeping your lights on every day, think about how often you keep the lights on throughout the season. For example, some people put them up at some time in December, while other people wait until right after Thanksgiving or even as early as post-Halloween.

The longer you keep these lights on, the more of an impact it'll have during the winter, which is also a time where you are running your heat non-stop. Both these factors can drive up your electric bill.

5. The Equipment You Use to Hook it Up

Take the time to consider the electrical equipment that you use also. For instance, having a circuit breaker or using extension cords can have an effect on the amount of electricity used.

For Christmas lights, you might also incorporate timers and other sorts of modifications that play into how you use your electricity.

In terms of "equipment", you'll also need to consider what sort of tree you install. Having a taller Christmas tree means that you will use more lights, which will cost you more money overall.

This means considering the general electrical use in your household, which will dictate the way your tree is used and how much energy is used. When you choose Christmas light equipment that is more intricate and decorative, it will also play a role in how much electricity the lights use when in operation.

Be sure that you measure the space of your living area and choose the right size Christmas tree for your household. Think about the type of electrical system you have and any electrical issues that come up as a result of an audit. Doing this will help you figure out which electrical issues are driving your bills up so that your Christmas lights are installed in a way that serves your household.