Holiday Lighting
Lighting up your house can sure make the holidays more festive - but running all those lights can make the holidays more expensive, too. Fortunately, there's a way that you can get the décor you want and lower your electric bills. The new generation of holiday lights use LEDs (light-emitting diodes) instead of incandescent bulbs. LEDs use tiny chips (smaller versions of what in computers) to convert electricity to light.
Manufacturers of LED holiday lights report that they use as much as 90 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. Because the LED lights do not use wire filaments, they do not generate as much heat (making them safer for use on trees) and may offer 50,000 hours of service. So while you may pay more initially for LED lights, their long life means you'll save more money every year.
How much can switching to LED holiday lights save you?
| Chart # of Lights |
Monthly Electric Cost of | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LARGE BULBS (10w) | SMALL BULBS (.4w) | LEDS (.04w) | |
| 500 | $81 | $3.24 | .32¢ |
| 1,000 | $162 | $6.48 | .65¢ |
| 1,500 | $243 | $9.72 | .97¢ |
| 2,000 | $324 | $12.96 | $1.30 |
| 2,500 | $405 | $16.20 | $1.62 |
Assumes 9¢ per kilowatt-hour.