Kitchener Home Repairs: Do Christmas Lights Use A Lot Of Electricity?

For generations, Christmas lights were simply candles that were lit to represent the light of Jesus. Unfortunately, the candles caused many fires over the holidays. One of Thomas Edison’s friends introduced electric lights for the holidays to prevent fires. The earliest lights were very expensive, but manufacturers developed electric lights to make them more accessible. When the White House used electric lights for their holiday display in 1895, the electric lights became more popular. If you love to decorate for the holidays, you may be concerned about electricity, not just the cost, but the environmental concerns. Here are some things to consider and how an electrician in Kitchener can help you find solutions.

Factors That Impact Christmas Light Electricity Use

Your Christmas light display can use a lot of electricity or you can be smart about it by planning your design. Obviously, the more lights you hang, the more energy you use. The longer you turn your lights on, the more energy you consume. Another increase in your energy use is the type of light you use. Modern LED lights use much less energy than the traditional incandescent light strands. If you leave your lights up from Thanksgiving through after the New Year, you’ll use a lot more energy.

Did you know you can calculate your energy use through the holidays? With a little math, you can figure out how much it costs to run a particular item.

• Find the wattage of the item on the original packaging.
• Multiply the wattage by 0.001. This gives you the kilowatt per hour (KW/h).
• Multiply the KW/h by the number of hours each day you plan to run your lights. (from 5 pm to 10 pm is 5 hours). This gives you the kilowatt usage per day (KW/d).
• Take the KW/d and multiply it by the number of days you plan to run the lights. All of December is equal to 31 days.
• To get the total cost, take the final number and multiply by your local power cost.

Reduce Your Power Usage Through the Holiday Season

If your total cost is a shocker, don’t give up your holiday lights. Here are some ways to be proactive and use less energy.

• Buy LED lights, which do have a higher price initially. They do cost less to run and will last longer than incandescent lights.
• Fiber optic decorations are energy-efficient.
• Install your Christmas lights on a timer to keep your energy use to a minimum. You won’t forget to turn them off before you go to bed or when you’re out. Your neighbours will thank you for having a schedule.
• Don’t use your other lights during the holidays.
• Carefully choose your lighting scheme. Only hang up lights to provide accents or on your showpiece.
• Use battery-operated or solar-powered luminarias or candles to light up walkways or paths.
• Reflective decorations and ornaments give the illusion of more lights without adding more electricity use.
• Distribute lighting across a broad space to get maximum effect with the least amount of energy use.

Make Your Holiday Bright Without a Huge Energy Bill

Keep your holiday bills manageable with a little forethought to your holiday light display. When you plan your display, it can help you avoid a huge energy bill in January. Handyman Connection can help if you are dealing with an electrical issue outdoors. From electrical repair services to installing outdoor outlets, our electricians can tackle your holiday decoration dilemas to find solutions that fit your style and personality. Keep your holiday spirits bright without getting hit by a huge bill in January by planning your display. Contact Handyman Connection for all types of electrical services and home maintenance jobs. We offer free project quotes to keep your home up-to-date.

*All electrical work is subcontracted to ECRA/ESA Licensed Electrical Contractors