The holiday season is upon us, and it’s time to deck the halls and trim the trees. Unfortunately, all of this décor can have a real impact on your electric bill for December – a time when you need to save those pennies for food, gifts, travel, and more.
The good news? You can still decorate indoors and outdoors with festive lights, ornaments, and all the trimmings while conserving energy and saving money.
With just a little creativity and a few “smart” tools, your home will still be the envy of your neighbors all season long. Celebrate the holidays with one or all of these energy-efficient decorating tips:
- Use LED lighting. By now, you may have already made the switch to LED lighting, but if not, it’s time to switch to the most energy-efficient option. LED lights use nearly 90% less power than incandescent bulbs. What’s more – they’re brighter and have a much longer life span.
- Integrate natural decorations. Bring nature indoors by creating garlands and wreaths from fragrant evergreen boughs, eucalyptus, pine, fir, and cedar boughs. No energy required!
- Install a timer. There are two good reasons to set a timer for your lights this season: 1) save money on your electricity bill, and 2) decrease light pollution, which can have negative effects on the environment and wildlife. Want to learn more about light pollution?
- Skip the inflatable décor. This is a controversial one. Homeowners love their holiday inflatables. But these outdoor displays require a significant amount of energy to stay inflated throughout the season, which can have a big impact on your utility bill.
- Be smart about power strips. Traditional power strips support many different devices using one outlet and continue to use energy in off mode. A smart power strip can eliminate this type of power loss altogether. Find one that works best for your decor needs this season.
Sources: National Geographic, PC Magazine
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