CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Lower cost of light display
Ken Sheinkopf, November 11, 2006 (McClatchy Newspapers via The Arizona Republic)
- Testing conducted at the Florida Solar Energy Center a few years ago confirms that even small loads can add up to a noticeable increase in your electric bill…

- The research on the lighting energy use in 185 homes before and after the holiday season found an average increase in lighting cost, when holiday lights were being used at about 4.4 kilowatt-hours per day, of around $13 for a monthlong display…this was for the average home, and we've all seen homes that clearly go above and beyond the average…

- [B]y bulb type…34 watts being used by 100 of the clear indoor/outdoor minibulbs to more than 504 watts used by the large, colored 10-watt outdoor bulbs…findings strongly suggest that you consider energy-efficient lighting…Check out some of the newer bulbs…you'll find a number of brands featuring LED or other higher-efficiency types…why not consider getting LED, which use one-tenth of the energy of the conventional ones?