LED Christmas Lights for a Greener Holiday
Using LED Christmas lights in place of conventional Christmas lights can make your holiday season greener. These days most stores that sell Christmas lights include the LED variety on their shelves as well. Yes, Virginia. You can have a greener Christmas!
LED Christmas lights last ten times longer and consume less energy than the traditional lights. They use 75% less energy. This means you can enjoy electrical savings when you use LED lights this holiday season.
As with traditional string lights, the LED variety are available in several shapes and sizes — including the popular “globe” and “mini” types. They can be found in the form of nets and icicles. With so many options available, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding the color or style you want.
The LED type of Christmas lights are safer when compared to conventional lights. You can connect numerous strings together without worrying about overheating them. However, you should still read the manual or box to learn how many strands you can connect safely to one another.
If you want to be even greener, you can opt to use solar powered LED Christmas lights. These lights harness the sun’s energy. Some models automatically light up at night. Amazon usually sells a 50-light strand for about $17. You’ll save a lot more energy and money when you purchase this type of LED string lighting.
People are sometimes turned off by the initial cost of LED Christmas lights. And, of course, it’s true that traditional incandescent bulbs are less expensive than LED light strings. However, in the long run the higher initial costs are recouped by savings from the more efficient and greener lighting solutions.
There are Christmas light timers available that you can hook up to your existing lights if you still have working incandescent strands and don’t want to invest in LED Christmas lights. These timers regulate the amount of energy your lights use. Additionally, they can help burglar-proof your house by giving the impression someone is at home even when you’re away for the holidays because they automatically turn lights off and on.
Speaking of safety, you should always observe safety first regardless of which type of Christmas lights you use. When you unplug the lights, don’t pull on the cord. This can tear at the wiring inside. You should also check to see if there is any damage or are any non-working bulbs before storing light strings. Don’t use lights that have loose connections, broken sockets, or bare wires. Store Christmas Lights, and any electrical decorations, in a dry place where they can’t be damaged by water. Keep them out of children’s reach during storage, to ensure the wires are not damaged.
We can make our future — and our planet — greener as we celebrate our family and religious beliefs during this celebratory holiday season. We know that every little bit counts, but it’s also true that all of our steps combined can stretch for miles.
About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn to live cleaner lives. Learn more about green living at her blog on Green and Eco-Friendly Gadgets.
This article was originally posted at Use LED Christmas Lights for a Greener Holiday.
