Light Up the Holidays with Efficiency and Safety

Holiday lighting can make the season bright, and when you use energy-efficient light bulbs, it can make it easy on your home’s electric bill, too. Today’s efficient lighting options offer you all the color and joy of years past, but they won’t play Scrooge with your holiday budget.

Consumers have enjoyed electric holiday lighting since the first colored bulbs were switched on in a mid-town Manhattan apartment during the Christmas of 1882. Since then, the styles and choices in holiday lighting have steadily grown, as have the energy savings.

For example, the popular mini-incandescent lights now use about 0.40 watts each, while the standard “C-7” bulbs use 4 watts each. For maximum energy savings, consider the new LED (light emitting diode) holiday lights. LEDs create light with very little heat, which increases safety and longevity. They also use up to 90 percent less energy than larger holiday bulbs, and last up to roughly 20,000 hours—enough to last for 40 holiday seasons.

After the holidays, a great New Year’s resolution is to make your entire home more energy efficient. To help you keep that resolution, contact your electric company or visit their Web site. Electric companies offer energy-saving advice and programs that can include home weatherization materials and on-line energy audits, which enable you to see where your home may be wasting energy, right from your own computer. Visit our Wise Use section for more information on electric companies and energy efficiency.

Safety Tips

Along with energy efficiency, safety is another factor to consider when using holiday lighting. Listed below are some safety tips for using both indoor and outdoor lights. Also, remember even though your lights worked effectively last year, you should still inspect them this year. A few minutes spent checking cords and plugs for potential hazards reduces the possibility of a fire.

Also, discard lights that have frayed wires, damaged sockets, or cracked or missing insulation. And, ensure that holiday lights carry the seal of approval of a recognized safety-testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Indoor-use only light strings are marked with the UL's green holographic label, and light strings for indoor and outdoor use have the UL's red holographic label.

Outdoor Lighting Tips

Install or adjust outdoor electrical displays only during dry weather.
Outdoor displays require outdoor (low temperature), exterior-rated extension cords, including fixtures, cords, and bulbs.
When hanging lights around your roofline or in trees, be sure to survey the area for overhead power lines and maintain at least a 10-foot distance.
Keep all electrical connections off the ground and hang sockets downward to prevent water from seeping into them.
Do not use more than three sets of standard incandescent lights on each extension cord.
Do not run electrical cords through door or window openings where they can be damaged.
For added protection, plug outdoor lights and decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters.

Indoor Lighting Tips

Do not use more than three sets of standard incandescent lights on each extension cord.
Keep lights away from carpeting, furniture, and drapes.
Turn off decorative lights before you go to bed or leave home.
Make sure household smoke detectors are working properly.
Avoid running cords under rugs, through doorways, or near furniture where they may be stepped on, tripped over, or broken.
Do not place cords around or near metal pipes, appliances, or anything that is damp or metallic. Turn off electrical devices when making adjustments.

For more tips and tools on how to use electricity safely during the holidays, please visit the Electrical Safety Foundation International's Web site.