Practically everybody loves putting up lights around their home during the holiday season, but sometimes they worry about how doing so will affect their electricity bills. However, there’s no need to feel such anxiety (and let’s face it, don’t you have enough to worry about with the holidays coming up?). In fact, it’s perfectly possible to find energy efficient Christmas lights for your upcoming holiday display. All you need to know is what to look for and where to shop.

At benefyd, we’ve put some thought into the issue and we’ve come up with some ideas that might help. Peruse this guide, and learn everything you ever wanted to know about energy efficient Christmas lights, just in time for the holiday shopping season!

Avoid Incandescent Bulbs

Traditional incandescent light bulbs are certainly recognizable. In fact, they’re extremely popular during the holiday season, as many people seek them out for multicolored displays. However, incandescent lights also have the potential to waste more energy than any other kind, according to a report put out by BC Hydro. Only 10 percent of the energy used by each bulb will be put into producing light. The rest is released as heat and quickly wasted in the cold winter air.

Advantages to Using LED Lights

LED lights, on the other hand, represent a much more energy efficient way to decorate for winter festivities. According to Darren Vader at The Christmas Light Emporium, LED lights use less energy and are substantially longer-lasting than their incandescent counterparts. Just how much more efficient are LED bulbs? Consider this: while a string of incandescent Christmas light bulbs is almost certain to have burnouts after 2,000 hours, the average LED Christmas light lasts for well over 4,000. They can also save up to 90% of the energy used by incandescents.

Choosing a Lighting Style

Once you’ve made the decision to switch over to LED bulbs, you’ll still have some aesthetic choices to make. For example, will you rely on strings of wide angle LED lights wrapped around your shrubs and trees, or will you opt for some LED icicle lights to make your doorways and windows some of the coolest in the neighbourhood? There are many options from which to choose, so don’t feel as though you have to settle on the first LED lights you find. Since LED lighting is becoming more popular and affordable, many new products are entering the market.

Using Light Timers

Professional Christmas light installers you should consider for your energy efficient christmas lights display this year is a timer. Timers save you from wasting energy by leaving your lights on, so they make an excellent investment. The amount you’ll save will depend on how you set the timer, and on the amount of energy you would normally waste by leaving them on. Many timers are commonly available at hardware stores—just make sure that you combine your timer with a smart plug so that your lights don’t continue to draw vampire power while they are turned off.

Your christmas light display doesn’t have to consume unreasonable amounts of power. Simply make sure that you use energy efficient LED light bulbs in a style of your choice, and regulate the display with a timer connected to a smart plug. Doing so will ensure that you can enjoy convenient, cost-effective lighting throughout the most wonderful time of the year!