Decking Your Halls Doesn’t Have To Cost A Fortune

Hold down your costs by scaling back your holiday decorations

With the holidays just around the corner, neighborhoods across Denver are decked out with holiday lights and decorations. It’s definitely an awe-inspiring sight that promotes holiday cheer. But you might not be joyful when you get your electric bill in January.

That’s because Americans spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year to light their homes for the holidays. In fact, some states use more electricity during the 45 days surrounding Christmas than other countries do in an entire year.

Here’s how the power (and the cost) quickly adds up:

Christmas Tree Lights:

45 watts per strand of 100 mini lights X 10 strands per tree = 450 watts

That’s the same watts to power a 55-inch flat screen TV.

Cost: About $17

Outdoor String Lights:

500 watts per strand x 20 strands of light for a 2-story house = 10,000 watts

That’s the energy you need to heat a 1,500 square-foot home with an electric furnace.

Cost: About $380

Outdoor Tree Lights:

175 watts per strand of 25 lights x 80 strands of light to cover one tree = 14,000 watts

That’s same amount of energy you’ll need to run your over, dryer, dishwasher, microwave, coffee make, toaster, and washer all at once.

Cost: About $530

Christmas Decorations:

Each reindeer, snowman, or Santa = 120 watts

That’s what it takes to run your computer monitor.

Cost: About $9

Icicle Lights:

6,056 watts per strand of 95 lights x 3 strands of lights = 18,168 watts

That’s about what it takes to wash 50 loads of laundry.

Cost: About $685

If you went all out and lit your house for the entire 45 days around Christmas, you would spend about $1,620 or about $36 per day on electricity costs.

LEDs are a Good Alternative to Traditional Lights and Decorations.

Before you turn off your holiday lights, consider using LED lights as an alternative. LEDs consume less electricity than the traditional lightbulbs you find in holiday strands. They’re much less expensive to run for the duration of the season. They also have other advantages, including:

• Safety: LEDs are cooler than incandescent strings of lights, which reduces risk of fire and personal injury.
• Durability: LEDs are made from hard plastic, which minimizes the risk of breaking.
• Ease of installation: LEDs use less power, which makes it safer to connect multiple strands without overloading your power outlets.

Need a new outlet to power your holiday lights? Call APower Electric Service at (720) 364-8616 to schedule an appointment.