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  • Should we leave our Christmas lights in the loft?

Should we leave our Christmas lights in the loft?

We explore the true cost of Christmas lighting...
Ben Poulteney
2 November 2022

Put simply; No. They’re cheap to run, so why not spread some cheer! 

Still reeling from the eye-watering rises in the cost of energy over the last 12 months?

In the run-up to Christmas, it is perhaps tempting to make the hard choice to leave your stunning lights in the loft in order to save money or signal your virtue. Initially (and perhaps for different reasons) we had the same worry, so have calculated how much it actually costs to run lights over the Christmas period.

We want to share the good news with you!

Our calculations provide you with some peace of mind when it comes to decking out your house or creating a winter wonderland in your garden. 

We’ve called this new feature ‘Watt’s the Cost?’ (not apologising for the pun) and it is determined from the output wattage of our lights, the new price cap of 27p per Kilowatt/hour and assuming you have the Christmas lights on for eight hours a day over six weeks (mid November - December).

 

To make it easy, we have included information for every mains-powered Christmas light that we sell. To find it, simply scroll through the product photos and you should find a ‘Watt’s the Cost’ image (like the one below) showing you the TOTAL maximum running costs for that light over the Christmas period. You’ll also find it in the product specification soon.  If you pay less than the capped rate, of course it will be even cheaper.
All of the Christmas Lights that we sell use LED or micro-LED lights. These waste far less power than incandescent lights meaning that, despite LED lights being more expensive initially, they quickly make up the difference and then some when you take into account their running costs - a single LED bulb can cost almost seven times less to run than an incandescent equivalent.
But before you get out the same lights you have had for the past decade, you might want to check their power output and consider adopting a more efficient LED equivalent that will pay for itself in no time.
 

Our biggest product, the 10m flagpole LED tree, will cost you just £2.21 to run ALL Christmas. However, most of our LED Christmas Lights will cost you between 50p and £1.20 also for the entirety of Christmas. That is roughly the same as a standard 1.2kW electric heater running for just three hours or three 10 minute showers using a standard 9.5kW shower (source: sust-it.net).

Simply put, it’s not a lot of energy and definitely not a worthwhile course for seriously cutting electricity bills.

But if not Christmas lights, what should you do to reduce your energy consumption?

As we have established, if you are using LED Christmas lights, it is unlikely they will be contributing significantly to your energy bills. We have put together five quick tips to help you save electricity, as well as how much you could expect to save.

  1. Making the most of your washing machine and using it one less time a week could save you £16 (calculated from In the Wash)
  2. Drying your clothes on a rack, rather than in the tumble dryer, could save you at least £43 across the year (even if you use a super efficient dryer) . (sust-it)

  3. Turning off appliances that are on standby, like TVs or laptops, could save you up to £35 a year, according to the Big Community Switch.

  4. If you don't have a dishwasher (around 50% of households don't) and your washing up takes 10 minutes or longer, then using a bowl rather than with the tap running is great way to save money on your electricity and water bills. This is because running the tap for 10 minutes is enough to fill a bathtub, and there's no way the plates are that dirty. (The Express)
  5. Using a shower timer and cutting one minute off of the time you spend could save you over £35 just on electricity, according to savvy spender, Martin Lewis.

 

In other Light News….

 

Our not so ancient Directors just about remember the ‘Winter of Discontent’ and have 'fond' memories of living and completing homework by candlelight. Fortunately, if we do get imposed blackouts you will not have to resort to such extreme measures. We will always get warnings if the lights are scheduled to go out and recently we have seen a rise in demand for USB charged lights that maintain a good level of light over several hours. They do make an excellent standby alternative for a candle, and are available in many shapes and sizes. During more pleasant weather, they can then be used safely outdoors too.

A good investment, whatever this winter brings us.

 

 

 

And besides, we would much rather use the warm glow of a Fermob balad lamp or the fun Rechargeable Edison Light bulb below over the comparatively weak and potentially dangerous flame of a candle.

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