The holidays are supposed to be a joyful, festive time, but high energy bills can put a damper on the fun. Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are a great way to keep your energy use down without sacrificing your favorite holiday lighting traditions. LED holiday lights are:
* Energy efficient. They use 70 percent less energy than conventional incandescent strings of lights, saving you money on your energy bills.
* Long-lasting. They can last up to 10 times longer than incandescent lamps.
* Safe. They stay cool to the touch, reducing the risk of fire.
* Sturdy. The bulbs are made of epoxy, not glass, so they are much more durable than other lights.
LED holiday lights come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and lengths and are available at many home improvement, wholesale, or drug and grocery stores. Although they might be more expensive than incandescent lights at the time of purchase, the energy savings over the life of the LEDs make them a big money saver in the long run. The brightness and color of LED lights have also come a long way in the last few years and are now visually appealing. For white lights, you can choose between cool white, which is a bright icy-blue white, or warm white, which has a yellow tint and is the closest to a white incandescent replacement.
For even more energy savings, use a timer to turn on holiday lights from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
FIGURE 1: Typical energy costs for holiday lights, per season
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are less expensive to operate than both incandescent C7 bulbs and mini-lights. The energy savings and long life of LEDs make up for their higher initial price, allowing you to save money during the holidays for years to come.
FIGURE 2: Cool white vs. warm white LEDs
Cool white LEDs are brighter and have a slight blue tint. Warm white LEDs are the closest in color to white incandescent holiday lights.
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