Energy-Efficient Ways to Decorate Your Home for the Holidays
The holiday season is a time for family, friends, and of course, decorating your home to get into the festive spirit. But all of those extra lights and other appliances can also put a strain on your energy bill. The average American home consumes 13,545 kW of electricity per season on holiday lighting alone. With New York electricity rates among the highest in the country, that can easily add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars! And considering that experts are already predicting high spikes in energy costs this winter, many homeowners are looking for less costly alternatives to decorating.
The good news is that there are creative ways to decorate that consume less energy (and are therefore more eco-friendly, as well). Here are a few tips on how to decorate your home for the holidays using less energy, so you can save money, be more environmentally friendly, and still have a beautiful home.
Use LED Christmas Lights Instead of Incandescent Lights.
LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are far more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent Christmas lights. In fact, LED holiday lights use up to 75% less energy than their incandescent counterparts, and they last up to 50 times longer. They also emit very little heat, so they’re less of a fire risk and safer to use around your home.
Use Smart Controls for Your Lighting.
If you want to take your energy efficiency a step further, consider using smart controls for your holiday lighting. Smart lights are connected to your home’s Wi-Fi network and can be controlled using a smartphone or voice assistant. This means you can turn your lights on and off, set timers, and even create lighting schedules, so your lights will automatically turn on and off when you want them to (and you won’t forget to turn them off). You can also use smart controls to dim your lights, which can save even more energy.
ADDITIONAL TIP: Try shaving one hour a night off your normal lighting timers–you’ll be surprised at how much electricity this can save over the season!
Store the Inflatables.
Illuminated inflatable decorations are all the rage these days, especially with single-family homes that have a yard. But they are energy hogs, pure and simple. In fact an inflatable can easily use 20 times more energy than a strand of mini-lights. Bottom line: there’s no energy-efficient way to use an inflatable, so try leaving them stored this year to save some money.
Aim for More Non-Electric Decorations
Traditional wreaths, garlands, and paper lanterns are fun and tasteful ways to decorate your home for the holidays – and they don’t use any electricity! You can also find battery-operated versions of these decorations, which use far less energy than their plug-in counterparts. Try replacing some of your electric decorations with these energy-neutral alternatives.
Plan Your Holiday Cooking Strategically
Not all holiday energy consumption comes from lights. You may also be spending more time in the kitchen cooking and baking holiday meals and treats for your family and friends, which can also increase energy use. To reduce these costs, try to plan ahead. When cooking holiday meals, try to bake multiple dishes at once to make better use of your oven’s heat. Also, consider using a slow cooker or electric pressure cooker for dishes that can be cooked at lower temperatures over a longer period of time. These appliances use less energy than ovens and stovetops, so they’re great for saving energy in the kitchen during the holidays.
Consider Getting a Real Holiday Tree
This tip won’t directly save on energy bills, but it’s better all-around for the environment: if possible, consider getting a real tree rather than a fake one. This might sound counterintuitive (after all isn’t it better not to cut down trees?), but the truth is fake trees add to the landfills when they can no longer be used, while real trees can be recycled into mulch for next year’s planting. Plus, most Christmas tree farms are run fairly sustainably, so you’re not depleting timber by using a real tree. And finally, real trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, so they’re cleaning your air as well!
By implementing these energy-saving tips, you can literally save hundreds of dollars (if not thousands) off your holiday energy bills this year, and your home will still be just as festive. For more tips on creative ways to make your home more energy-efficient year-round in the Tri-State area, contact Apollo Electric today.