Because they need it.

Each year, I am pleased with the growing number of Christmas lights I see in my neighborhood.

However, I’ve noticed that many families are leaving their Christmas lights on almost all day and night. This is a waste of money and precious electricity.

As we deplete our sources of electricity (coal, oil, gas), electricity costs rise. The holiday season is an important time to conserve these non-renewable, limited resources and keep the global cost of electricity down.

My husband and I invested in a cheap light timer ($6) many years ago and enjoy seeing our Christmas lights turn on at 5pm sharp and shut off at 10pm daily. It’s effortless for us and it’s eco-friendly! We use less electricity and save a little on our electric bill.

Just how much do we save? We spend $4.42 total to power our outdoor lights for the entire holiday season. If we left them on 24/7, we’d spend $21.21/season.

Okay, a $16.79 yearly savings might not seem like a big deal, but we only use five strands of 100 mini lights outside. Extravagantly decorated homes can cost $300 each holiday season! To find out how much you spend, do the calculation below:

Figure out your wattage. For a starting point, know that one strand of 100 mini lights is approx. 44.7 watts.

Multiply that by .001.

Multiply that by however many hours a day your lights are on.

Multiply that by the amount of days your lights are on in one season (Thanksgiving to New Years is 35 days this year).

Multiply that by .113 (dollars), or your cost of power usage (found on electric bill).

And that’s the amount that you spend on powering your lights for the season. Surprised?

Stay on Santa’s nice list; save the coal. A cheap timer pays for itself in one season and lasts for years!

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Author: Megan Morris

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Movie Still