Christmas lights – little angels can be major power guzzlers

Over EUR 13 million on Christmas lights
Strings of Christmas lights will add around EUR 13.4 million to the collective electricity bills of Danish households in December alone. But, as the Trust’s tests revealed, it’s not necessarily strings with the greatest number of lights that use the most power.

Power guzzlers disguised as angels
This year’s test showed that a small string of 20 angel-clad bulbs is not as innocent as it looks. Actually, it uses nearly as much power as a large string of more than 200 Christmas lights suspended on the gable or patio. This is mostly because the angel lights are fitted with conventional bulbs, whereas the long strings of Christmas lights have the latest hi-tech energy efficient LEDs.

Check the wattage
It’s not always that easy for consumers to tell whether Christmas lights are fitted with conventional bulbs or LEDs. Also, not all producers show the information.

‘Before purchasing Christmas lights you should check how many watts they use. The higher the wattage, the more energy is used. A rule of thumb is that a string of Christmas lights rated at 10 watts uses almost 5 kWh if it is switched on every day in December from 15.00 in the afternoon until 09.00 next morning (i.e. when it is dark). This will cost consumers just under  EUR 1.34,’ says Poul Erik Pedersen, project manager at the Trust.

Use an on/off timer
One of the most energy efficient strings of lights tested by the Trust used just under 40 cents when switched on every day in December during the hours of darkness. The most inefficient string of lights in the test was fitted with 16 conventional bulbs. This cost around EUR 5.36 to run over the same period, which could quickly spoil the party in a home with five strings of these lights. A good tip is to connect the lights to an on/off timer which automatically switches them on and off at preset intervals.

‘You can save cash by choosing the most energy efficient strings of LED Christmas lights combined with an on/off timer that only switches the lights on during the evening before you go to bed,’ says Poul Erik Pedersen.

LEDs – lights of the future 
You can decorate your tree for just 40 cents during the hours of darkness throughout December with this string of LED Christmas lights.

LED Christmas lights typically use 50-70% less power than strings of lights fitted with conventional bulbs. Today, there are plenty of LED lights on the market.

‘LEDs are developing rapidly, and today these energy saving lights are available in different colours and shapes. LED Christmas lights also typically last much longer than strings of lights fitted with conventional bulbs. LEDS are the lights of the future especially because of their energy efficient properties,’ says Poul Erik Pedersen.

Try before you buy
When it comes to Christmas decorations, the colour of the lights and their brightness is a matter of taste. So, before you buy, it makes sense to see what different lights look like when switched on.

‘By doing this consumers can be sure that their Christmas lights fulfil their expectations,’ says Poul Erik Pedersen.