Angela Slater, Gardening Expert at Christmas tree specialists, Hayes Garden World, has shared how much it will cost Brits to run their Christmas lights this year.
“Presently, most of us are experiencing a squeeze on our cost of living and having to make sacrifices so every little saving makes a difference and switching your Christmas lights to low energy LEDs is essential. Initial purchase cost may be more than buying long life lights but this will be more than made up for in the savings made on the electricity bill.”
“LEDs are 5 to 10 times more economical than the traditional filament lights that we all used to run. This is because they use a lot less power to achieve the same light. As a bonus, they are low voltage which is safer and they are cold to the touch so essential if you have small children in the house.”
“Other bonuses are that the bulbs are practically unbreakable and they last an average of 10,000 hours. If you run the lights for an average of 8 hours a day over 30 days of Christmas they should last 40 years and cost less than a pound a year.”
“Cost per month:
- 1 kWh £0.08
- 2 kWh £0.16
- 4 kWh £0.33
- 6 kWh £0.50
- 7 kWh £0.58
- 8 kWh £0.67
- 9 kWh £0.75
- 15 kWh £1.26
(Statistics courtesy of Kaemingk Lumineo Lighting)”
“Cut the cost of running Christmas lights by buying a set which includes a timer which ensures that you don’t leave them on by mistake. When you have the Christmas tree lights on, try and turn off all the other lighting. Do not try to save money by putting real candles on the Christmas tree as they are incredibly dangerous.”
“When buying the lights, make sure you purchase from a reputable supplier and that there is an energy label on the packaging (as there are cheap imports available which are not guaranteed to be safe and the LEDs are in fact cheaper lookalikes). Make sure you are buying exactly what you need and that the lights are fit for purpose. If lights are not labelled as being suitable for outdoors, don’t use them outside as they could short out and fuse the lights.”
“Hayes recommends a minimum of 100 lights per foot of tree, so a 7ft tree would need 700 lights, to give you a good coverage and look stunning.”
If you’re searching for decorative lights or lights for your Christmas tree, check out Hayes Garden World’s range here.
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