Energy-Saving Holiday Decorations

by | Dec 18, 2015 | Property Management, Real Estate Articles | 0 comments

32774493_sSaving money on holiday lighting while still having a beautifully decorated home is a win-win. This is the time of year when many people pull out the storage tubs from their hiding places and take inventory of the holiday decorations that they have to work with.

As you are assessing your holiday decorations and devising your plan of attack, keep these energy-saving tips in mind:

  • If any of your stands of lights are not LED, make sure to replace them. LED lights use more than 65% less energy than tradition light strands, making them a great investment. The bulbs actually burn brighter than tradition bulbs, and there is no filament inside so there is no risk of a bulb burning out. After Christmas sales offer a deep discount on holiday decorations, so you can get an even better deal on all new lights for next year also.
  • If you are out doing some shopping, look for holiday decorations that offer a mail-in rebate. Energy Star offers rebates and coupons with most of their decorations and usually come with a three-year warranty.
  • Create a schedule for your holiday decorations. Rather than keeping your decorations on all hours of the day, make a schedule so that they are only on for a few hours. For instance, once it is completely dark outside you can turn your lights on and then leave them on until you go to bed. This helps to reign in the amount of time that you are running your lights and thus how much energy is used.
  • Rather than choosing the inflatable lawn decorations that required power to inflate, choose statues made of wood or plastic to place in your yard. The inflatable decorations use quite a bit of electricity, and if you are using them in addition to lights, you could see a significant spike in your power bill. Wood or plastic lawn decorations still add a nice element of holiday decoration, without the added power usage.

As you are planning your holiday decorating for the year, think about these tips to make sure that you are keeping the holiday spirit without adding too much to your power bill. Also, you can talk with professional holiday lighting installers to learn about how to get the most impact from your lighting display with the least impact on your bill.