Did you know that holiday lighting can add more than $100 dollars to your electric bill in less than 30 days?
It’s the same each year; place a few candelabras in the windows,
string a hundred bulbs inside the home and several hundred outside,
plug them in and watch your electric meter spin. Standard holiday
lights consume between four and seven watts of electricity per bulb.
It’s festive but not very efficient. You can be festive and energy
efficient by replacing standard holiday lighting with LED (light
emitting diodes), compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, mini-lights
and fiber optic holiday displays. They will provide the same level of
holiday cheer, at a significantly lower cost.
LEDs have been around for years. They provide high quality, durable,
and safe lighting with low energy consumption, using just 0.04 watts
per light. They come in a wide variety of colors, can be strung in long
lengths, and when one bulb burns out, the entire strand keeps working,
making replacement easy.
New in many retail stores, is an artificial tree outfitted with
fiber optic lighting in the branches. With one small light bulb and
optional color wheel, beautiful light is transmitted through the fibers
with none of the heat.
Mini-lights are very popular and consume 0.4 watts, come in long
lengths for indoor and outdoor use, with many colors to suit any
festive need. You will also find CFLs, with a mini-base, to fit into
candelabras and small holiday displays providing bright, warm light.
Information about holiday lighting, and other energy-saving tips for
your home and business can be found by visiting the New York Energy
$martSM website, www.GetEnergySmart.org or by calling 1-877-NY-SMART.
The New York Energy $martSM Program is provided via a partnership
between the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority
(NYSERDA) and the Public Service Commission (PSC).
Provided by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Herkimer County.
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