Are Christmas Lights Cheaper Than Light Bulbs?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Are Christmas lights cheaper than light bulbs? $13.65

five sets of 25 incandescent outdoor bulbs

. 22 cents for five 25-bulb LED strands. $3.10 for five 100-bulb strands of incandescent mini lights.

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Do Christmas lights use more electricity than light bulbs?


LED lights consume 80-90% less energy than incandescent bulbs

, and last up to 100,000 hours, versus 3,000 hours for an incandescent. Combine this with the durable construction of LEDs, and savings extend beyond electricity.

Are Christmas lights more expensive?

Tis the season for homes decked out with Christmas lights. But all of that holiday spirit comes at a price: In California and New Hampshire,

it can add nearly $30 to your electricity bill to run lights from Thanksgiving to New Year’s

.

How much do Xmas lights cost to run?

Bulb Type Wattage per Bulb Cost of Powering 10, 100-bulb strands (at avg. $0.12/kWh)*
Incandescent C7 (2”) light


5


$126.00
Incandescent C9 (3”) light 7 $176.40 LED mini light .07 $1.76 LED C9 (3”) light .09 $2.27

How much money do you save with LED Christmas lights?

Switching your traditional Christmas lights out with newer LED Christmas lights can save you a surprising amount of money. If you have a typical modest Christmas display on your home, your energy costs would be approximately $10-$15 for incandescent lights, or

around $2

for LEDs for the holiday season.

Do Christmas lights raise your electric bill?

Using the formula above with the national average of $0.14 per kilowatt-hour and a display season of six hours a day for 30 days,

using a strand of mini LED lights will cost you about 52 cents

. A strand with the same amount of bulbs, but as incandescents, will cost about $1.81.

Do Xmas lights use much power?

An average house uses between one and three wreaths, a garland, and approximately 10 strings of lights to decorate the exterior of the home and trees.

With incandescent lights, that’s an average of 635 watts to power your Christmas lights compared to 96 LED watts.

Why are Christmas lights so cheap?

But, do you know why the manufacturers that sell to the big-box stores can sell those lights so inexpensively? It’s because

they’re made cheap

. It all comes down to a very simple, age-old truth: If you buy cheap, you get cheap. Now for some products, buying cheap and getting cheap is fine.

How much does it cost to leave a light on 24 7?

Let’s say you have a 60-watt incandescent lightbulb and you are paying 12 cents per kWh of energy. Leaving the bulb on the whole day will therefore cost you: 0.06 (60 watts / 1000) kilowatts x 24 hours x 12 cents = approximately

20 cents in one day

.

Why are Christmas lights so expensive?

While newer LEDs do not suffer from this limitation, they are more expensive than their traditional counterparts.

Most LED Christmas light strands have fewer bulbs than the average incandescent strand

, which means you will likely end up spending more money for a comparable number of lights.

Is it cheaper to leave lights on or turn on and off?

A home energy expert, from not-for-profit energy group Ebico, replies:

It is an urban myth that the extra electricity needed to switch lights back on is more than that saved by switching them off

– but this is not the case.

What uses the most electricity in your home?

  • Cooling and heating: 47% of energy use.
  • Water heater: 14% of energy use.
  • Washer and dryer: 13% of energy use.
  • Lighting: 12% of energy use.
  • Refrigerator: 4% of energy use.
  • Electric oven: 3-4% of energy use.
  • TV, DVD, cable box: 3% of energy use.
  • Dishwasher: 2% of energy use.

Is it safe to leave Christmas lights on all night?


Christmas tree lights should not be left on for prolonged periods of time or overnight

. Even LED lights can overheat, and with a combination of a dry Christmas tree, could cause a fire. Make it a habit to turn off your Christmas lights every time you leave the house or go to bed at night.

Are LED Christmas lights cheap to run?


Consumer advice centre HomeOwners Alliance recommends LED bulbs, as they use less electricity than incandescent ones and will last longer

. Although the initial outlay may be higher, an LED bulb will give you 25,000 hours of festive glow, compared to an incandescent bulb’s 1,000 hours .

Is it worth it to buy LED Christmas lights?

Money and Energy Savings

According to the U.S. Department of Energy,

they use up to 75 percent less energy and last 25 times as long

. They also don’t require much maintenance. Since LED bulbs don’t burn out, they only get dimmer over time; you don’t have to fuss with replacing bulbs and fuses.

Do LED lights use much electricity?

While LED bulbs are more expensive to purchase, they’re generally the most efficient bulb, requiring little electricity to produce just as much light as other bulbs.

An LED light will usually consume four to 25 watts

.

How much do LED lights cost per month?

Brightness (in Lumens) Watts Avg. Cost / month*
650 – 850


7 – 10W


$0.26
1000 – 1400 12 – 13W $0.39 1450 – 1700+ 14 – 20W $0.53 2700+ 25 – 28W $0.82

Do flashing Christmas lights use more energy?

Answer. Answer:

Exactly the same amount of electricity

, because the capacitor in the lights fills up and empties out like a battery, the capacitor is always on, so they use the same amount of electricity.

Does LED lights increase electric bill?

In general,

LED Lights use less electricity

and last longer than incandescent or CFL bulbs. This EarthEasy chart breaks down the electricity usage and cost savings of LEDs, and shows thousands of dollars of savings over 25,000 hours when you switch from incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs.

Do LED strip lights waste electricity?

An average LED strip light consumes roughly 7 to 35 watts. This wattage is highly dependent on the specific product, as more energy-conscious strip lights require very little electricity while

bright, fully-featured lights can use almost as much electricity as a conventional bulb

.

Why do LED Christmas lights burn out?

When it comes to lens damage, the general rule is

if the lens is cracked all the way through to the core of the LED, then either the entire set or on longer stringers, half the set will go completely out

. However, fortunately, most LED lenses are very rigid and don’t easily crack or break.

Why do blue Christmas lights burn out first?

Blue LEDs are notoriously difficult to make, which has slowed down the production of cheap, highly efficient white LED light bulbs. Now, UK scientists think they know why.

How many years do Christmas lights last?

Holiday lights, like a lot of things in your home, require maintenance and regular replacement. Do you know the life span of your lights?

Incandescent bulbs should be replaced every 4-6 years. LED lights last a bit longer, for 7-10 years

.

Do you save money by turning off lights?

Turning the lights off when you leave your room is necessary to help save electricity and lower your utility bills. As a homeowner,

turning the lights off when you’re not using them can help save money by reducing your electricity bills

, extend the life of your light bulbs, and buy bulbs less often.

What costs the most electricity?

What costs the most on your electric bill?

Heating and cooling

are by far the greatest energy users in the home, making up around 40% of your electric bill. Other big users are washers, dryers, ovens, and stoves. Electronic devices like laptops and TVs are usually pretty cheap to run, but of course, it can all add up.

How much does it cost to run a TV all day?

Leaving a TV on for a full day costs

between 4 cents and 42 cents in electricity, with the average being 21 cents

. Financially, the cost difference may not appear substantial, but the difference in expense adds up considerably over time.

Do Christmas trees use a lot of electricity?


A 7.5 foot tall tree comes equipped with 650 incandescent mini-bulbs. At an average of 0.45 watts per bulb

, that’s a total of 292.5 watts — or roughly 0.29 kilowatts — that the pre-lit tree uses at any time.

Do LED Christmas lights last longer?

LED Christmas lights are unquestionably efficient and

last longer than their incandescent alternatives

. However, not all LEDs are made equally. Manufacturers and suppliers of LED Christmas lights boast anywhere from 10,000 hour to 100,000 hour lifespans that with only season usage equates to 18 to 185 years!

Can you replace Christmas light bulbs with LED bulbs?

The short answer is no.

You can’t use LED replacement bulbs (if you can find them) to replace traditional mini lights on a traditional light string

. It may seem like a good idea, cost-effective and simple. However, the wiring for your classic lights is different and unsuitable to handle LEDs.

How much does it cost for a light bulb to be on for an hour?

Light Bulbs

A LED light bulb uses just seven to ten watts while a fluorescent light bulb consumes 16-20 watts, an incandescent light bulb will use 60 watts typically and cost about

0.6 cents

an hour to run, according to the energy use chart.

How much extra does leaving a light on cost?

A “normal” incandescent bulb costs about 0.75cents per hour, and LEDs or CFLs cost only one-sixth of that – so leaving the lights on (either overnight or while you’re at work for the day, say both are about 8 hours) costs you roughly

6 cents for a normal light and a bit over 1 cent for modern bulbs

.

How much does it cost to leave a light on for an hour?

At 30c/kwh this will cost 0.05 x 30 =

$0.015 per hour

. In comparison to run a 4.8w LED downlight for 1 hour will consume 4.8/1000 = 0.0048 kwh. At 30c/kwh this will cost 0.0048 x 30 = $0.0014 per hour.

What causes high electric bill?


Increased Use of Seasonal Appliances

The use of air conditioners goes up during summers, space heaters and hot tubs enjoy their limelight as the temperatures dip, dehumidifiers are used more during certain periods of the year. The increased use of these appliances will drive up electricity bills in those seasons.

Do phone chargers use power when not charging?

A spokesperson for the Energy Saving Trust adds:

Any charger that is plugged in at the wall, and not switched off at the socket, will still use some electricity, even if it’s not plugged into the device it is meant to charge

.

What can I turn off to save electricity?

  • TVs. When you’re lazing around on the sofa, switching off the TV with the remote feels so much better than getting up to turn it off at the wall. …
  • Computers. …
  • Phone, tablets and laptops on charge. …
  • Set top boxes and recorders. …
  • Games consoles.

What time should you turn off Christmas lights?

You can take them down

anytime after New Year’s Day, but before January 6

th


—that’s Three Kings Day and the last of the 12 days of Christmas. Even if your lights celebrate a different faith this holiday season, the Black-Friday-to-Three-Kings-Day window is still a great guideline.

Jasmine Sibley
Author
Jasmine Sibley
Jasmine is a DIY enthusiast with a passion for crafting and design. She has written several blog posts on crafting and has been featured in various DIY websites. Jasmine's expertise in sewing, knitting, and woodworking will help you create beautiful and unique projects.