Why Light Timers Are a Must-Have for Holiday Lights

You might be torn between an extensive light display and cutting down your electric bill this winter. Regardless of how many decorations you’re putting up or how much you’re spending this holiday, you’re probably looking for a good way to save money. 

That’s where a timer can come in. Timers can turn your lights on and off automatically without you having to worry about it, keeping your home safe, merry, and bright. 

3 Things Holiday Light Timers Can Do for Your Home

1. Save Energy

Did you know that the average American uses around 301kWh of electricity per day during the holiday season? To put it into perspective, that’s more than 10 times their average daily usage for the rest of the year. Light timers are a great way to combat wasteful holiday light usage by creating a set schedule for your lights. Another way to reduce energy waste is to make sure your outlets and wiring is up-to-date throughout the house – you can call an electrical handyman to help identify any problem areas in the home. 

2. Simplify Hard-to-Reach Decorations

If your significant other just had to light the entire roof this season, put away the ladder and buy a light timer. Having tough-to-reach decorations set on a mechanical or smart timer is a great way to safely light up your home. Plus, when the snow hits, you’ll be happy you don’t have to venture outside in your slippers to hit the switch.

3. Ward Off Burglars

Lighting is a great deterrent for nefarious yuletide thieves, especially if you’ll be out of town for the holiday. It’s best to use a smart outlet or a 7-day timer to vary your lighting schedule. A smart outlet can be controlled through an app on your phone, so you can make it appear as though someone is home at different times during the day. If you’re not sure how to install a smart outlet, call an electrical handyman to help you out. 

What decorations can benefit from a timer? 

The short answer: is all of them. 

All of your holiday decorations, outdoor and indoor, can benefit from having a timer. You can talk with your local electrical handyman to see what areas would benefit most. In general, you’ll want to have any decorations you can’t monitor on a timer. If you can’t easily plug it in and out, it should be on a timer.

What sort of timer should I get? 

Standard timers will turn your lights on and off based on an internal clock that you program. It’s very simple, but if you lose power in the outlet your timer is plugged into, then you’ll have to reset the internal clock. 

Photocell timers can tell daytime from nighttime and are really useful for outdoor lighting. You have different settings, so you can keep your lights on for a certain period of time or on from the time the sunsets until it comes up again. 

Which is right for your home? 

The timer you pick is going to depend a lot on what decorations you’re putting up and how much convenience you want. Whether you need help finding a lighting solution or just want to make sure your home’s electricity is ready for the long winter ahead, Handyman Connection of Lexington is here to help.  Fill out a form or call (859) 549-5429 to schedule an estimate.