Why energy saving holiday lights is important:
One of the major consumers of electricity during the holiday season is holiday lights that are used to decorate the house and the Christmas tree. In the state of California alone, traditional Christmas lights can consume as much as 1000 megawatts of electricity. The average consumption per bulb is 5 to 7 watts. Older lights may consume as much as 10 watts per bulb.
How to conserve on your holiday lighting expenditure:
A solution to this is to opt for newer miniature lights. These bulbs use 70 percent less energy-consuming as compared to traditional strings of bulbs. For more luminance, look at 5-Watt bulbs as they are more economical than the 7-Watt varieties even though initially a little more expensive.
Why opt for LED lights:
LED light bulbs are very energy efficient. These bulbs are shatterproof and shock resistant. These bulbs are safe to touch and will not burn your fingers. These bulbs are not only long lasting but can also reduce the energy spent on traditional lighting by as much as 80 – 90%. According to the Electric Power Research Institute, if Americans replaced the traditional mini-light with LED lights then the savings incurred would be worth $250 million, furthermore resulting in a 400,000 ton reduction of carbon emissions.
Things to do before installation:
Remember there are two types of bulbs for holiday lights - those that are used indoors and those specially designed for outdoor use. Before starting your decorations, remember to check if all the lights are working properly. Checks should be made for any frayed wires, damaged plugs or sockets or cracks in the insulation.
How to save energy in energy saving LEDs:
Make use of a timer to switch off the lights automatically. This is especially true for all lights that are strung outside the house. When selecting a timer, check to see that it can handle the total wattage of bulbs on the string.
